Isao Suzuki – Blow Up (Deluxe Edition)

Isao Suzuki's Blow Up is a sought-after 1973 session from the cult Three Blind Mice catalogue, capturing the bassist and cellist in a small-group setting that balances lyricism with bite. Suzuki had worked with Art Blakey, and that experience feeds into the album's direct, grounded swing, but the atmosphere here is distinctly his own: intimate, spacious, and sharply responsive.

The set brings together original pieces including "Aqua Marine," the title track, and "Low Flight" alongside standards such as "Everything Happens To Me" and "I Can't Get Started." Across those six performances, Suzuki is joined by pianist Kunihiko Sugano and drummer George Otsuka, with Takashi Mizuhashi also credited in the expanded quartet line-up. The result is music that moves easily between soulful trio interplay and a more driving, jazz-funk edge without losing its sense of finesse.

This edition matters because it returns a long-admired Japanese jazz title to vinyl with unusual care. The original 1973 release has been reproduced as faithfully as possible, with remastering and cutting by Bernie Grundman, plus the original obi strip and reproduced liner notes. For anyone exploring the deeper end of 1970s Japanese jazz, Blow Up is an especially inviting place to start.

Features

• 180g, Deluxe Edition
• Remastered and cut by Bernie Grundman
• Original obi strip and liner notes reproduction
• Official Three Blind Mice reissue with faithful reproduction of the original release