Jazz Impressions of Japan

Dave Brubeck | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005B17V
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,669 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Tokyo Traffic

2. Rising Sun

3. Toki's Theme from CBS-TV Series, "Mr. Broadway"]

4. Fujiyama

5. Zen Is When

6. The City Is Crying

7. Osaka Blues

8. Koto Song

Editorial Reviews

His unique jazz take on Japanese culture, featuring Toki's Theme (from the TV series Mr. Broadway ) plus Rising Sun; Koto Song; Zen Is When; Osaka Blues , and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Underrated!, August 20, 2001

By 

Michael Mikesell (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jazz Impressions of Japan (Audio CD)

This was out of print for far too long! The album finds Brubeck, Desmond, and Co. at their fluid best, making pretty, intricate music that--to my ears at least--does justice to the Japanese inspirations for the music while still sounding very much like great American jazz. The closing piece, "Koto Song," is sublime.

Terrific sound quality, par for the course with Legacy's other great jazz reissues. It's a little short, but look at it this way: 35 minutes of great music played twice is 35 more minutes of greatness than you'd hear in a padded 70-minute release.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique and Interesting Hybrid from Brubeck, March 10, 2002

By 

nowhereman (America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz Impressions of Japan (Audio CD)

I was fascinated by the cover of this album. When I gazed at it and saw that it was Brubeck doing jazz with his quartet that was influenced by their tour in Japan, I decided to buy it without having heard it at all.

This was a great gamble. The music would appeal to most people who liked "Take Five." And the subtle touches of Japanese music and culture enhance the experience. It is a good thing that Brubeck didn't try to make an album of Japanese music without a Western foundation; that would probably have been a mistake. I am of the belief that music is often at its best when two or more styles are fused together. Such is the case here.

The packaging is wondferful and the sound is great. I have not been disappointed with a Columbia / Legacy reissue yet. The fact that this album has just been finally issued on CD for the first time after being out of print for years proves how underrated this album has always been. This is a great, unknown album from one of the more underappreciated jazz giants.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have For Any Fan of Brubeck, May 19, 2009

By 

Leif Thorsted (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jazz Impressions of Japan (Audio CD)

The 8 tracks on this album capture Brubeck at his best as a composer. He appeared to be consciously striving to achieve the simple, succinct, and profound features of haiku. "Rising Sun" is as understated and pretty a melody as I've ever heard from anyone. "Tokyo Traffic" is classic, west-coast cool. "Toki's Theme" is 60's camp. "Fujiyama" is a contemplative piece that features Brubeck sounding like Bach chasing notes around in a circle. "Zen is When" is an atmospheric, peaceful, and hypnotic lullaby. "The City is Crying" is vintage Brubeck Quartet that showcases Paul Desmond. "Osaka Blues" is a straight forward swing that allows Brubeck to stab harmonic chords over the pitch-perfect bass and druming of Wright and Morello, respectively. "Koto Song" is the most Japanese-sounding track on the album. Again, very atmospheric, very contemplative and very hypnotic.
I like this album every bit as much as "Time Out" and "West Side Story". "Jazz Impressions of Japan" should be in everyones jazz collection. It's great if you blast it and just as great if you have it as background music.