Sachi Hayasaka & Stir Up! - Free Fight (J Jazz Masterclass )

BBE Music’s acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass returns with its 22nd release, a super rare private press from one of the unsung female jazz figures of Japan, saxophonist and composer Sachi Hayasaka, together with her band, Stir Up! Released in 1988 on the private label Mobys, Free Fight was Hayasaka’s debut album and announced the arrival of an essential and primal force onto the Japanese jazz scene.

Part free jazz, part post-bop, and part heavy groove, Free Fight is one of the most varied yet engaging albums BBE Music has reissued in the J Jazz Masterclass Series, showcasing Hayasaka’s inventive and muscular playing as well as her highly original and surprising compositional powers. Given the album’s eclectic yet cohesive sound, it’s no surprise that it originally found a home at Mobys, the label established by esteemed jazz critic and promoter Teruto Soejima. Mobys only issued a handful of albums from some of the leading free and open players including J Jazz Masterclass alumnus, pianist Aki Takase, as well as free jazz guitar icon Masayuki Takayanagi, and free jazz figureheads Itaru Oki and the great Masahiko Satoh.

Born in Tokyo in 1960, Hayasaka took lessons from saxophonist and recording artist Toki Hidefumi and fully immersed herself in the jazz life, working part-time at various jazz kissas including Peter-Cat, a kissa managed by novelist Haruki Murakami. She has performed regularly across Japan at venues like the famous Pit Inn and formed a strong alliance with the classic Tokyo jazz kissa Paper Moon, which continues to this day.

Heavily influenced by players such as Roland Kirk, David Murray and Ornette Coleman, Hayasaka has played with free jazz legend Yosuke Yamashita and performed around the world (as well as up Mount Fuji!). In the late 1980s she moved to New York for several years and worked with notable musicians including drummer Pheeroan akLaff and pianist Cliff Korman. She has recorded a number of albums to her name for Japanese jazz labels such as Three Blind Mice and Kitty as well as leading European imprints such as Enja.

Still a very active musician on the jazz scene, Sachi Hayasaka’s name can now reach a new audience with this stunning debut album, available for the first time in over 35 years. Free Fight still sounds as fresh and exciting as the day it was recorded and is a testament to Hayasaka’s skill and power as a world-class musician and composer. The album’s power and impact is reinforced by the outstanding players in the band: Toshiki Nagata on bass, Keiki Midorikawa on cello, Ken Tsunoda on drums, Naoki Kubojima on piano, Tomohiro Yahiro on percussion, and Tetsuji Yoshida on trumpet.

The new J Jazz Masterclass reissue, taken from the original master tapes provided by Hayasaka herself, includes fully reproduced original album artwork and custom obi strip (not included with the original pressing), Hayasaka’s own telling of her life in jazz, and previously unpublished photos from her personal archive.