Recently, we were asked to be a part of a very special event at Muro, Bangalore. The intention was to celebrate Japanese culture, specifically at the junction where the old meets the new, and we had to look no further than Masayoshi Takanaka.

 

 

Masayoshi Takanaka, born in Tokyo, Japan, is a legendary guitarist and composer renowned for his contributions to the jazz-fusion genre. We began our session by taking the audience through Takanaka’s early work. For our tracklist, we chose albums from his most influential years: Masayoshi Takanaka II, Jolly Live, Alone, and Super Takanaka Live! These also happened to be the albums we found on a crate-digging spree in Vietnam last year.

 

 

Among the iconic musician’s discography, we delved into Jazz Kissas. The original listening session experience was offered by Jazz Kissas of early 20th-century Japan, where small cafes would provide a cozy, intimate atmosphere paired with high-end audio systems and the occasional beverage for patrons to sit back and enjoy intuitively listening to jazz music. Kissa owners were called Masters and were known to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the music that they housed.

 

 

We talked about vinyl culture and its rich history in Japan. Japanese presses were known for their superior sound quality and craftsmanship. When it came to pressing vinyl, Japan was known for placing an emphasis on quality over quantity. We got to display Japanese records through our vinyl showcase, with their iconic obi strip. We had a great time delving into the history and music culture of Japan and the legend that is Masayoshi Takanaka, setting the mood for the rest of the night.