Review: Various Artists - J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988 (BBE MUSIC)

Tony Higgins and Mike Peden announce that pre-orders available now forJ Jazz volume 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988, BBE Music’s celebrated J-Jazz compilation series reaches its fifth and final volume in early 2026, culminating in a track list that maintains the exceptionally high standard first set with volume one back in 2018.

This final volume features a selection of tracks that is as diverse as it is deep, reflecting the rich and varied Japanese jazz scene that spanned from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, a golden era of innovation and creativity. J Jazz volume 5 sees compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden dig ever deeper into their respective record collections to reveal tracks that encompass myriad styles including white hot jazz funk fusion from Toshiyuki Honda ('Eastern Legacy') and Mikio Masuda ('Sonic Barrier'), super rare ethnic jazz crossover by Crystal Zone - their one-off 45 promo release from 1971, 'Rai Rai' (ライ・ライ), a deconstructed and abstract jazz classic by Yasuhiro Kohno with his solo piano rendition of 'My Favourite Things', and Mile and Half’s skin-tearing, shredding freak-out from their mega rare private press album. A track that is so relentless, it leaves the listener in need of oxygen and a Valium.

These hand-picked selections sit alongside other specially chosen numbers that embrace hard-driving samba (Seiichi Nakumura’s Judy’s Samba), epic head-nodding soul jazz (Masaru Imada’s World Line), psychedelic private press fusion (Aoyama Gakuin 101’s Fervor), angular post-bop tear-ups (Akia Miyazawa’s Nijimasu), intense and insistent fusion (Motohiko Hino’s Olive Step), serene cinematic pianism (Hideo Ichikawa’s On the Trade Wind) and tripped-out hallucinogenic tribal funky jazz (Garandoh) 

With almost 7000 words of extensive sleeve notes, J Jazz volume 5 comes in a triple 180g vinyl set  inside deluxe gatefold sleeve with obi strip, and comes with a 4- page insert, with photographs from the renowned Tokyo Jazz Joints project. Mastered with love @thecarverystudio

BUY LINK/PRE-ORDER (3LP and 2CD) bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/j-jazz-volume-5-deep-modern-jazz-from-japan-1970-1988

Artist: Varous Artists

Title: J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988

Release date: (Shipping 20 March 2026)

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number :  BBE731

BBE 3xLP vinyl / 2xCD / Digital (bbemusic.com) & Bandcamp .