Hiroshi Suzuki / Masahiko - Togashi Quintet [Nippon Columbia]

‘A monumental work that captures the transformation of Japanese jazz,’ Variation is a gigantic free jazz juggernaut that effortlessly connects chaos and the fresh. First released in 1969, a year considered the absolute pinnacle of free jazz in the nation (after which many artists also began to incorporate a national style into their music), Masahiko Togashi was just one of the few composers who achieved widespread recognition for his art at the time. This collaboration with Hiroshi Suzuki features tracks like 'Suzu No Uta' that delight with delicately tuned percussion and shimmering metallic maracas, while ordered cacophonies like the closer 'Passion' depict the highs and lows of love through many scaled decrescendos.