In the 1960s and ’70s, Japanese saxophonist and composer Jiro Inagaki paid his rent with the proceeds from dozens of albums released under just as many pseudonyms. These records sold well mostly because they featured jazz versions of popular enka hits – that nostalgic form of Japanese balladry that dominated the country’s music landscape at the time. But Inagaki led a double life as an artist. With his band Soul Media, he took a stylistic turn in a completely different direction. After hearing the music of The Crusaders and liking what he heard, he decided to launch a similar-sounding project – and ultimately grew far beyond that starting point.
In The Groove, the 1973 album by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, couldn’t have been more aptly named: it’s so deeply rooted in the groove that even Trump’s GBU-57 bunker buster would have trouble breaking through. This brand of jazz fusion leans more toward soul than funk. American influences like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, or The Crusaders are certainly present, but Inagaki doesn’t simply copy – he creates something of his own. With rich grooves and confident musicianship, the band navigates through a stylistic jungle and never loses its sense of direction.
