Recorded live at the Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo at the end of Blakey’s first ever tour of Japan, the audience’s enthusiasm clearly had a bearing on the animation and intensity of the soloists. The repertoire is well enough known, ‘Moanin’’, and ‘Blues March’ both composed by Benny Golson during his time in the band, were recorded in October 1958 on Moanin’. ’A Night In Tunisia’, by the same band here, came from the bacchanalian session of 14 August 1960 that produced the album of the same name. ‘Dat Dere’, again by this same band, came from The Big Beat, recorded 6 March 1960. ‘Now’s the Time’ was a common or garden jam session vehicle, and first appeared in a Blakey version on A Night In Birdland recorded in February 1954. There are two versions of this 12-bar blues here, one clocks in at 22mins 34 secs and the other at 17mins 15 secs, and in both cases, energy exceeds inspiration. Once recorded, Blakey’s arrangements were etched in stone and in live performance varied only in solo length, intensity and tempo. ‘The Theme’, and the obligatory Blakey ballad, this time ‘Round About Midnight’, are both well enough known Blakey staples.

This well-produced and beautifully-packaged find from the archives comes with a copiously illustrated and annotated booklet, with fresh interviews with Lou Donaldson, Wayne Shorter, Sadao Watanabe, Blakey’s son and drummers Billy Hart, Louis Hayes and Cindy Blackman Santana.