Tags: Asian Jazz

Review: Japanese jazzmasuta Jiro Inagaki is graced by a stunning new tribute album via 180g, Legends, which celebrates his 90th birthday in 16-track compilation form. Made up entirely of works made between 1968 and 1980, and selected by DJ and producer Yusuke Ogawa, this is an album made almost entirely of Jiro's best-known instrumentals, not least a formerly unreleased version of the standout 'Express'. The recordings are impeccable, and this is a standard which does not waver over the entire 12-year period this LP spans.

Review: Indian fusion band Shakti were formed all the way back in 1974, and after a disbanding and long hiatus in the fallout, they made a comeback in 2020 with This Moment. Despite the time passed, the original lineup of John McLaughlin (guitar), Zakir Hussain (tabla), L. Shankar (violin), and T.H. Vinayakram (ghatam), came together once more after a whopping 40 years. The album, now reissued by Abstract Logix, provides the most modern take yet on their craft, blending elements of experimental, jazz, rock, classical, and Indian music into a unique and mesmerizing sound.