British label BBE's ‘ J Jazz Master series’, which focuses on independent and largely unknown parts of the Japanese scene of the last 40 years or so, has certainly unearthed many gems. This latest release is very much in the vein of some of the previously issued albums, which means that a Trane/McCoy influence is pervasive, above all in the familiar but irresistible combination of fraught modalism and fluid swing.

Hailing from Japan and the U.S.A the bandmembers either worked or studied with legends such as Jack McDuff, Eddie Harris and Philly Joe Jones, so it's hardly surprising that they play to such a high standard. Gifted trumpeter Shunzo Ohno emerges as the star soloist, justifying his status as the name most familiar to American and European audiences, but this is an album which triumphs for the consistently good compositions as well as ensemble work. Curators Tony Higgins and Mike Peden deserve props for making this music available, broadening our view of Far East jazz.