In the light of the recently discovered ‘lost’ recordings by such jazz legends as Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and John Coltrane, this freshly unearthed recording featuring the fire music of Japanese saxophone player, the late Karou Abe, is an equally exciting find. Recorded live in Tokyo at two separate locations, Mannyoka is an important addition to the discography of Japanese free jazz, at a time when European and American musicians like Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, and Milford Graves were travelling to Japan in order to perform and record with new players. Here Abe is joined by drummer Sabu Toyozumi who provides the perfect accompaniment for the sax player's guttural blasts and minimalist skronking. A duet that screams forth one minute, only to slowly recede into near silence the next. The resulting exchange between the two players is tense at times, broken only by a feral fiery salvo from Abe's blaring horn.