Akira MIYAZAWA
Yamame (reissue)
King Japan
Rel: 26 Jan 26
Jazz
| Side 1 - Track 1. Yamame |
| Side 1 - Track 2. Memories Through Thick Glasses |
| Side 1 - Track 3. Fly Casting |
| Side 1 - Track 4. Like Someone In Love |
| Side 2 - Track 1. Out Of Nowhere |
| Side 2 - Track 2. Le Crepuscule Embaume |
| Side 2 - Track 3. Like Sonny |
In early 60s Tokyo, when Japanese jazz was still finding its identity, Akira Miyazawa's Yamame arrived like a glint of movement beneath still water. Recorded in 1962 and later reissued under its now-familiar title, it marked the tenor saxophonist's debut - a record that fuses cool jazz phrasing with a distinctly local lyricism. The title track flows with a measured swing, its melody rippling like sunlight through a stream, while 'Fly Casting' stretches toward post-bop intensity, driven by Masahiko Sato's agile piano runs. On 'Le Crepuscule Embaume', Sadao Watanabe's alto brings unexpected warmth to Miyazawa's crystalline tone. Beneath the technical assurance lies something rarer - a self-aware search for "Japanese jazz" before the term had weight, calm yet quietly defiant in its purpose.