Masayoshi Takanaka - The Man with the Guitar: Recorded at Liveteria [Japan Import]

Masayoshi Takanaka has been one of Japan's great guitar heroes since the seventies, and The Man with the Guitar: Recorded at Liveteria captures him live, first released in 2001 and issued here as a Japanese import LP.

Takanaka first made his name in Sadistic Mika Band before launching a solo career in 1976 with Seychelles, going on to release a steady stream of records that blended jazz fusion, funk, Latin rhythms and the breezy pop now called city pop. In recent years a new generation has discovered his music online, turning him into an unlikely international cult figure decades into his career, with sold-out shows far from Tokyo.

This set finds him in sparkling form, revisiting favourites with his band. Blue Lagoon, his signature instrumental, still shimmers with that bright, singing lead tone and tropical lift. Saudade, which shares its name with his chart-topping 1982 album, brings a more wistful mood, while Shake It and Nagisa Moderato show off his knack for melodies that feel effortless even when his fingers are flying.

The playing is clean, joyful and full of personality, the sound of a musician completely at home with his material.

For collectors chasing Japanese fusion and city pop on vinyl, this is a vibrant document of a master still clearly having fun.