First Flight

This debut album by drummer and actor Mitsuaki Katayama is a Japanese jazz masterpiece, put out by Johnny’s Disk Record - an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe Kaiunbashi No Johnny located in Rikuzentakata city.

Consisting of 5 original compositions, the no-filler album includes the tracks “Unknown Point,” a danceable jazz samba with tight and powerful drumming; the melancholic “Arizona High Way,” a tune that perfectly epitomizes what Japanese jazz is about; “It’s Over,” which features beautiful piano work by Kichiro Sugino - a promising pianist who tragically succumbed to a chronic illness and couldn’t fully realize his potential; “Louis” and “First Flight,” a jazzy dance cut with a funky bassline.