DarkSeaDream

Whenever I explore the works of lesser known artists, I inevitably stumble upon comments comparing them to the long established greats of the genres. Many of these comments are self serving, congratulating or crediting oneself for listening to an artist, and putting yourself on a pedestal for it. As if it’s some conflict, and you’re the decisive victor with a band you had no participation in. Seeking validation for musical biases is out of place in music discussion. 

Japanese jazz has gained a devoted following worldwide, with artists like Casiopea, Masayoshi Takanaka, and Ryo Fukui often heralded as the end all be all. While I admire their talent, I believe they are frequently overhyped, thanks in part to fan culture that elevates their work to near-mythic status. In this post, I’ll explore what I appreciate about their music, why I find their reputations exaggerated, and how fan discussions sometimes cloud objective appreciation.

1. Casiopea

Love the band, everything from then. I’m not keen on live performances since I view the album recording as the artists integrity or vision of their work, but with Casiopea I find myself enjoying their live music as much as I do the studio work. Whether it be because their guitarist goes off on a tangent of sorts improvising, or because everyone on the stage has presence I’m unsure. What I know is there’s nothing I dislike about the music being played whatsoever.

What irks me is the portrayal of Casiopea as the definitive pinnacle of jazz. It extends to progressive rock too. I can count the times I’ve seen them compared to ELP or Zeppelin. Outside of the former being a key heavy band I don’t see comparisons, nor the need to argue which is better. For what it’s worth I prefer ELPs work and think Emerson is the quintessential keyboard player in rock/fusion, with Wakeman and Mays(PMG) trailing behind.

They’re about as overrated as band can get, but that’s to be expected if their exposure to the “fusion” type music. Though I’d argue they’re more in the vein of funk/R&B rather than jazz fusion. It’s hard to find anyone that agrees with these sentiments other than one instance of me commenting it followed by a few corresponding comments in agreement.

2. Masayoshi Takanaka

God forbid you say anything about Takanaka and his onstage antics, with the gimmicky guitars and whatnot. His fans will take this as a slight on behalf of the man and his music. I remember posting about how one of his guitars looked uncomfortable and I got attacked by these perpetually online anime avi crowds over it. I wasn’t going to argue the point I was making that his instrument isn’t practical, and that I had nothing against his music. But I just ignored it, I can’t defend myself against a rabid crowd that’d be responding to me like clockwork, since that’s what we do when we worship an artist that’s the end all be all. We’d rather discuss their music than listen to, right?

Like with many Japanese artists that try stick their hand into the jazz genre, something about it falls flat. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is but Japanese jazz artists lack that unexpectedness I find in western jazz. Masayoshi has amazing acoustic playing and I love some of his solos, but he just doesn’t scratch that itch I’m looking for in jazz. At least with other rock guitarists that had their foray in jazz, a la Beck, they made arrangements that surpassed originals in my opinion(Good Bye Porkpie Hat).

I will say Rainbow Goblins is in my top 25 albums of all time and it seems to be one that’s overlooked among his discography.

3. Ryo Fukui

I’m tired of him being treated like he’s some monolithic figure among jazz pianists in the manner of Bull Evans. His stuff just popped up on YouTube one day the spread to other forums like plebbit, where they herald him as the greatest jazz pianist to ever touch the instrument. While Ryo Fukui is unquestionably talented, I fail to see a reason to place him alongside the greats of jazz due to his relative nature. I’m just not going to entertain the idea that an artist that begins every bar with the same lick is on par with Coltrane or Corea. Scenery is a very sophomoric approach to jazz and should never be considered in the same discussion as the likes of the jazz greats.

Regardless, it’s been a long while since I’ve heard the album so I think I’ll give it a spin. What are your thoughts on Ryo Fukuis place in jazz history, and do you think his recognition is deserved?

While I can appreciate the aforementioned artists for their musicianship, I find the excessive adulation that surrounds them unwarranted. Fans have elevated them to an untouchable status and any form of criticism, even down to questioning the shape of instruments played, is met with backlash. The deification of these artists overshadows thoughtful discussion of their music.