The second album by saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, a key figure in the New Jazz movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, released in 1978. A standout work featuring a colorful sound that incorporates crossover and fusion, with cutting-edge grooves and an edgy ensemble. Accomplished musicians including Susumu Kazuhara on trumpet and Masanori Sasaji on keyboards join Muraoka, delivering a wide range of sounds, from funky tracks to fast-paced numbers. Now available on color vinyl for the first time.
Mitsutaka Nagira (Music Critic):
Last year I went to France, and this year I went to Sweden and Finland, drinking my way through the local spots. In every city, whenever I came across a restaurant or bar where records were being played, I would find some kind of Japanese jazz record, and I had just experienced firsthand how strong the scene has become. In Europe, many of these places feel closer to DJ bars than traditional jazz kissa, so naturally, records that work well for DJ play, while also functioning as background music in a seated setting, tend to be favored.
Takeru Muraoka’s Soft Landing is right at the center of that context. Some of the band members come from Akira Ishikawa’s musical circle, and many of them are accomplished musicians who supported artists such as Yoshitaka Minami, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Anri within the City Pop scene. Masanori Sasaji was also a member of Mariah. With a band like this, the album moves effortlessly through the many forms of “fusion” of the era. Jazz, funk, and disco intermingle, shifting from a light, refreshing feel to a deep, weighty groove from track to track. They have the versatility of studio musicians, yet as Muraoka’s band, with its ties to Terumasa Hino’s musical circle, the players become more self-assertive and aggressive when they take their solos. This distinctly Japanese duality is also part of what makes the album so compelling. I can easily picture a reissue of Soft Landing being played in bars all over the world.
