Solid Japan Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Ryo Fukui was a Japanese jazz pianist who played regularly at the Slowboat jazz club in Sapporo, which he and his wife Yasuko owned. He taught and performed internationally until his death. With renewed interest in his musical works recently, his 1977 album Mellow Dream receives a reissue here courtesy of Japan's Solid, where Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore.

Review: J Daisuke Kuroda is one of Japan's celebrated curators of funk and soul in the Far East. He has been digging in the vast and vital vaults of Miami's T.K. Records and come up with this superb 7" reissue for the latest in his much loved "Kickin" series. It takes the form of a first ever single cut from the cult 1971 psychedelic funk album Black Knight by James Knight & The Butlers. They are one of the label's most iconic outfits among many and the super killer funk of 'Fantasy World,' is irresistible while the hauntingly beautiful yet more mellow "Just My Love For You' is on the flip.