For many people, classical music can be very relaxing, a soothing balm at certain times, or in uncertain times. Some jazz music is regarded in the same way, and there is even smooth jazz, after all. What about both classical and jazz, together? Classical jazz, or jazz classical? Jazz-classical crossovers, fusion, or merges? (Pianist Ethan Iverson recently shared an engaging article on the “Jazz Brain/Classical Brain” divide, which aligned serendipitously with what I had been thinking about this week.) ...

Virtual Silence (2022) is a 38-minute experience in five chapters, a project born of a moodily lit and ambient concept from bassist Ryoji Orihara and vocalist Chie Nishimura. On their first album, the pair are joined by guests May Inoue on guitar and Tamaya Honda on drums, an addition that marvelously decorates the simple but evocative themes with ethereal dimensions and deep textures. Throughout, Nishimura’s voice is used as a melodic instrument alongside guitar and bass, singing minimalistically on all five tracks with no lyrics or words. ...

Like Mamoru Ishida’s Afterglow introduced previously, Mabumi Yamaguchi’s Viento is a 2023 jazz release from the Japanese jazz label Days of Delight which is doing a wonderful job of delivering the sound of authentic modern-day Japanese jazz in impeccably produced and attractive packages. Viento is saxophonist Mabumi Yamaguchi’s second release on Days of Delight following his chord-less trio recording Trinity (2022), but he’s been playing and releasing albums for over five decades. In that time, he’s worked with stellar domestic and international musicians including drummers Motohiko Hino (“best jazz drummer in Japan” award winner throughout the 1970s) and George Otsuka for a landmark 1978 tour with Kenny Kirkland (piano), John Scofield (guitar), and Miroslav Vitous (bass). His recording Mabumi (1981) also featured Kirkland and Vitous with Tony Williams (drums) joining the lineup. ...

Sweet Rain offers a great room for great jazz, a small but comfortable space with enough room for jazz trios and small combos. The space is neat, cozy, and clean. The atmosphere offers the relaxing feeling of a familiar hideaway where the stimulation of exciting jazz brushes off the daily grind like sweet rain washing out the dirty grime. Figure 1: Kaito Nakamura (drums) Quartet with Koichi Hirata (guitar), Otohiko Fuse (piano), and Riku Takahashi (bass) at Sweet Rain in April 2024 ...

Afterglow is the latest recording from pianist Mamoru Ishida, released in 2023 and recorded in 2022 with his trio featuring Ryohei Komaki on bass and Kaito Nakamura on drums. The sixty-four minute, ten-track album is filled with his original compositions and is his first leader album in twelve years, although he’s stayed active with live shows and other recording sessions throughout. Days of Delight, the new Japanese record label, set the direction of having a trio format with Ishida’s originals and describes the situation glowingly in the liner notes. ...

Clean, simple, and comfortable, Kanmachi 63 (上町63) in Kannai, Yokohama is an authentic jazz lover’s hangout. It’s especially a great choice for those times when there’s a desire to concentrate on live and unbounded jazz music with minimal distractions. The tiny bar supplies just what a listener needs: a small stage area, several simple seats and tables, and not much else. A curated collection of modern Japanese jazz music fills the air during breaks, and high-quality recordings and authorized bootlegs of live performances recorded here are also in rotation. ...

Dot is the 2023 album by pianist/composer Hitomi Nishiyama. Until this week’s release of Echo, Dot was her latest album; Echo is Dot ’s twin, recorded with the same members and during the same sessions. Nishiyama has released many great albums since 2004, and yet it is tempting to call this significant Dot her masterpiece. As a prolific composer with consistent album releases over two decades, many peaks have been reached. Dot forges into some bold new territory, and successfully so. ...

Toys is pianist Sumire Kuribayashi’s debut leader album from 2014. Since then, the spirited musician has been on a tear, with several more leader albums released from her own projects as well as collaborations with a variety of Japanese and international musicians. With Toys, Kuribayashi plays nine tracks on the forty-eight-minute album, with five of her own songs and four beloved covers arranged together in a lively display of her musical vision. Whatever Toys may mean as a concept title (hinted at in the Obi Notes), it’s a playful album that works as a perfect medium for her musical worldview. ...

Clepsydra’s album Un Jour from 2011 is an eclectic collection of eleven original songs that the quartet often played at live events throughout their musical journey (roughly 2006-2015). Their unusual name may be difficult to read and pronounce initially but is easy to remember when parsed as the three syllables clep-sih-dra. The meaning of the word is an ancient water clock, a device for telling time based on the movement of water through its construction. A charming storybook-style image of a clepsydra appears on the album cover. ...