Japanese Jazz Vinyl Records

Tokyo pressings. The audiophile's holy grail.

Japanese pressings of jazz records — particularly Victor, Toshiba EMI, and King Records releases from the 1970s — are considered among the finest vinyl pressings ever made. Quiet surfaces, heavy vinyl, exceptional mastering. American collectors actively import them.

The major labels pressed domestic Japanese editions of Blue Note, Impulse!, Prestige, and Verve titles that routinely outperform their American originals in playback quality. King Records and Trio labels are the ones to know.

Prices have climbed steadily as Western collectors discovered the format. A patient eye on Discogs and CDandLP — which has strong European inventory — will still turn up bargains.

Essential Records

• Miles Davis — Kind of Blue (CBS/Sony Japan) (1979, CBS/Sony Japan)
• John Coltrane — A Love Supreme (Impulse! / King) (1976, King Records Japan)
• Bill Evans — Waltz for Debby (Riverside / King) (1975, King Records Japan)
• Herbie Hancock — Head Hunters (CBS/Sony Japan) (1978, CBS/Sony Japan)
• Lee Morgan — The Sidewinder (Blue Note / King) (1975, King Records Japan)
• Art Blakey — Moanin' (Blue Note / King) (1974, King Records Japan)

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