Takeo Moriyama is Japan's leading jazz drummer. Since the late 1960s, he has swept the free jazz world with the Yosuke Yamashita trio. After leaving the group, all his experience was condensed evolving and deepening the musicality in a more melodic and rhythmic direction. And that activity will reach a peak in this work Smile, one of the masterpieces of jazz from Japan.

• Limited Edition
• Deep Jazz Reality series
• Project Re:Vinyl edition from HMV Japan
• Presented by Universounds
• Produced by Yusuke Ogawa
• Mastered and Pressed in Japan!
• Deluxe cover Includes OBI Strip

Takeo Moriyama, Japan’s leading jazz drummer, loved by many new and old fans. Since the late 1960s, he has swept the free jazz world with the Yosuke Yamashita trio. After leaving the group, the radiating heat was condensed into an ensemble, evolving and deepening the musicality in a more melodic and rhythmic direction. And that activity will reach a peak in this work “Smile”.

Vinyl copies of Japanese jazz drummer Takeo Moriyama's modal masterpiece Smile have long been in-demand amongst collectors. This can partly be attributed to its obvious quality, but also to the fact that few copies ever made it out of Japan. This reissue of the 1981 release, then, is more than welcome. Moriyama and his accompanying musicians recorded the four-track set in November 1980, serving up instrumental workouts that got a good balance between advancement of killer grooves and the showcasing of some remarkable instrumental solos. The most remarkable thing, of course, is Moriyama's drumming. In fact, you'll find few finer jazz drum solos than those on the album's standout moment, epic opener "Exchange" (though Moriyama's work on the title track is almost as good).

Musicians:

Bass – Hideaki Mochizuki
Drums – Takeo Moriyama
Piano – Fumio Itabashi
Saxophone – Koichi Matsukaze, Yoshio Kuniyasu

Track Listing:

A1 Exchange 11:51
A2 Watarase 6:41
B1 Step 6:41
B2 Smile 8:35
B3 Good Bye 4:54

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫