Bamboo

Part of a limited first-press series highlighting the renewed global popularity of Japanese crossover and fusion, this release draws from Universal Music's extensive catalog and focuses on sought-after titles that were previously unavailable on analog or are now considered rare, targeting strong vinyl demand including international collectors; reflecting the broader resurgence sparked by artists such as Masayoshi Takanaka, Jun Fukamachi, and CASIOPEA, and the success of projects like "CROSSOVER CITY," this edition embraces the genre's expanding younger audience and evolving listening styles. The album featured is Bamboo, the third work by shakuhachi master John Kaizan Neptune, an American artist trained in traditional Japanese music who holds the Tozan-ryu title "Kaizan," and who innovatively fused shakuhachi with jazz fusion alongside the Arakawa Band, led by saxophonist Tatsuhiko Arakawa; originally released in 1980 and recognized with an Excellence Award at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival as both a jazz work and a foreign artist's achievement, the album has seen rising international demand in recent years. This pressing is remastered and cut by Katsutoshi Kitamura at Mixer's Labo and is issued on clear light-green vinyl, with packaging designed to complement the original jacket artwork.