John Kaizan Neptune: Bamboo

Japanese crossover/fusion is hot again! Japanese fusion has been on the rise since last year, either as an extension or a spinoff of the global re-evaluation of city pop. This is an early masterpiece by John Kaizan Neptune, an American shakuhachi player who studied traditional Japanese music and continues to perform in Japan. He holds the artistic name Kaizan (Shakuhachi Tozanryu) as a shakuhachi master. Naturally, he performs traditional Japanese music, but he also explores the fusion of shakuhachi and jazz fusion. His third album, "Bamboo," won the Excellence Award at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival. This was the first time that a jazz album and a foreign artist had received this award. While originally released nationwide through New York's Inner City Records, demand for his work has recently been rapidly increasing among inbound tourists. The accompanying Arakawa Band is a fusion group led by jazz saxophonist Tatsuhiko Arakawa, who has performed with renowned big bands. (Original release: 1980) Remastered and cut by Katsutoshi Kitamura (Mixer's Labo) (From manufacturer information)