T. Inomata & Sound L.T.D.* = 猪俣猛とサウンド・リミテッド* – Sounds Of Sound L.T.D. = サウンド・オブ・サウンド・リミテッド

I sincerely enjoy it when a record is hard to define, it gives me pause, encourages me to listen with a bit more concern and effort. Such is the case when it comes to the 1970 album by Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited’s Sounds of Sound L.T.D., created by one of Japan’s most renowned and influential jazz drummers.

Yes, this is an old album, another album that far too many missed on its release, though Inomata was recognized in 1957 as Swing Journal Magazine’s new drummer of the year. To say that his sounds are enthusiastic would be an understatement, to say that is music is boundless might inch you closer to the truth; though I would also add mysterious to those descriptors. There are essential, probably never heard grooves laid down here that have since become both the stuff of legend and classics, incorporated by many in the progressive jazz and rock community. With all of that in mind, the man finds a way of parlaying everything in order to bring his musical visions to light without a hint of pretentiousness, including psychedelic grooves that don’t so much define his sound, but interweave within it, relaying those unexpected ah-ha moments. And I’ve not even mention his fabrications that include Big Band influences, guitars, dynamic funkiness, along with drum, flute and organ solos that swirl effortlessly. The record also embraces a tight set of horns that ride nicely on the top, though the trombone and trumpets also drive this recording forward, charting out a rich expressive and expansive resoundingly colourful course of visionary tonalities embracing an undeniable sophistication and grace, a listen that’s both rewarding and compelling.

Review by Jenell Kesler

Why the best underground albums are always so expensive? $1.400 is outrageous.

Rare tunes are rare to find 4/5 for this album