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Takeo Moriyama

Smile (2024 Reissue)

Nipponophone / J-Digs

COJY-9518

LP Blue $50

SHIPS BY 2024-11-08

  • Pressed on clear sky blue vinyl
  • Housed in a gatefold jacket
  • Extensive liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds/Deep Jazz Reality) in Japanese and English translation
  • Originally released in 1981

Description

Since the late 1960s, jazz drummer Takeo Moriyama has been a dominant force in the free jazz scene, initially with the Yosuke Yamashita Trio, and more recently, collaborating with the KYOTO JAZZ SEXTET, earning respect from past to present. Recorded in 1980 with his quartet featuring Fumio Itabashi, this album is renowned for being the first to include the emotionally rich Japanese masterpiece "Watarase". Other highlights include the spirited "Exchange" and the beautifully poignant "Goodbye". Each track is a standout, offering a grand-scale performance where tranquility and movement organically intertwine, making it one of the top albums in the history of Japanese jazz.

Takeo Moriyama(Drums)
Yoshio Kuniyasu(Tenor & Soprano Sax)
Fumio Itabashi(Piano)
Hideaki Mochizuki(Bass)
Koichi Matsukaze(Alto & Tenor Sax, Flute)

Preview Tracklist

  • 1 Exchange
  • 2 Watarase
  • 3 Step
  • 4 Smile
  • 5 Good Bye