BBE Reissues Extremely Rare Japanese Jazz Album ‘Mother Earth’
The third in BBE’s well-curated ‘J Jazz Masterclass Series’ features one of the most sought-after jazz albums out of Japan in ‘Earth Mother’ by the Koichi Matsukaze Trio. This extremely rare recording was originally released in 1978 on the private label ALM, which at the time was releasing some the most innovative jazz coming out of Japan. The album is led by saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze and is joined by legendary drummer Furusawa Ryojiro, bassist Tamio Kawabata, and special guest Toshiyuki Daitoku on both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes. The music ranges everywhere from spiritual jazz to post-bop burners, and also includes a great version of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.”
Thanks to BBE and their ‘J Jazz’ series curators Tony Higgins and Mike Peden, this great recording, which was in obscurity for decades, is now available for a whole new generation of jazz fans.
