Yosuke Yamashita Trio - Sakura

barabara sounds sez:

The sakura has been and gone in Tokyo for this year. But the blossom is only just starting to illuminate the areas further north. There are many reasons for people in those areas to party and celebrate the return of another spring. But it will be many years, decades for sure and maybe more, before anyone has hanami parties under these trees inside the nuclear no-go zone. And a long long wait until any of us can really breathe easy.

Meanwhile, here's Yosuke Yamashita and his trio from 1990 with the funkiest version you're likely to hear of that hoary old traditional Japanese ditty. The other tracks are equally fine, with Yamashita in much more lyrical mode than he was earlier in his career. He really has a great understanding with his two longtime sidemen.

personnel:

Yosuke Yamashita piano; Cecil McBee acoustic bass; Pheeroan akLaff drums.

tracks:

Sakura; Yurikago; Haiku; Amefuri; Ano Machi; Dobarada; Tanabata; Sunayama; Tsuki No Sabuku; Usagi No Dance; Nenkorori

Yosuke Yamashita - Spider

barabara sounds sez:

Staying close to home, and more from the superb Yosuke Yamashita. Spider is one of six (I believe) he made with his New York Trio, which comprised him plus the great Cecil McBee and Pheeroan akLaff. They began playing together in 1988, and so by the time this fine set was laid down (in NYC, in June '95) they'd built up a really good understanding.

The trio are in top form from the get-go. and there's some great playing. One of the stand-outs for me is One for M, but the title track, at the very end, is also a blast.

tracks:

Cats Dance; Revenge Of Picasso; One For M; Quiet Days; Fourth Step; Kids In Memory;Doubles; Stream; Spider

The other feature of this album is the cool spider-themed artwork — full scans of the CD inserts included!

Looking for more Yamashita? Then check out the comprehensive discography over on the indispensible — but currently dormant — El Goog Ja, here... Unfortunately most of the RS links are extinct, but it'll give you an idea of what to look out for. Expect a few more posts in the future here...

Togashi-Yamashita Duo - Kizashi

barabara sounds sez:

Here's another duo out of Japan, but this time featuring piano and drums/percussion. Neither Yosuke Yamashita or Masahiko Togashi should need introduction — they're among the greats from the golden age of Japanese jazz and improvisation. This session laid down in 1980 is short (just 38 minutes) but very sweet, with some lovely inventive playing. And that is probably why this has gone through a couple of CD reissues (this rip is from the first ie non SHMCD) though currently OOP. The duo also recorded a live concert of the same material later the same year.

Kizashi [ 兆 ] means a sprout or bud, but can also mean a sign or omen — not in a mystical sense but apparently as a premonition of the future direction of jazz in Japan. Looking back, I'm not sure that means very much. But at the time it was exciting, the final fling of that golden age.