In 1973, a new jazz club called "Misty" opened its doors in Tokyo, and young Tsuyoshi Yamamoto became its "house" pianist in January 1974. TBM producer Takeshi Fujii fell in love with Yamamoto's bluesy and lyrical playing, and decided to record his trio's first album. Recorded in March 1974, this album would become the "most exported" of all Three Blind Mice (TBM) titles. Beloved by jazz fans all over the world, this disc captures the trio's brilliant performance in superb sound quality. The of-the-moment realism of Yoshihiko Kannari's recordings and production aesthetic of producer and label head Takeshi "Tee" Fujii have been the benchmark to match. It earned the Best Engineering Award and Jazz Disc Award of Swing Journal in 1974. Don't miss out on this opportunity to add this very rare, limited SACD edition to your collection.

Isao Suzuki is undoubtedly one of the most talented Japanese bass (and cello) players. Before Orpheus, he has wowed the world with his earlier Three Blind Mice releases such as Blow Up! and Blue City. For this trio album, he is joined by another star player of the label, pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto.

In its many iterations, bassist Isao Suzuki's Blow Up has been used as a demonstration disc at many audio shows and audio shops ever since it was released in 1973. The piano trio (and occasionally a quartet with Suzuki playing cello) plays soulful and energetic jazz.

Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto was one of the best jazz sax players in Japan. His nickname was given by an American soldier when he was playing in a US military camp after the war. A true giant on tenor and flute, his contributions to the jazz industry of Japan were many and recognized by many awards and honors. This record, made in 1976 in a one-horn quartet setting, showcases Matsumoto's brilliant playing on both tenor saxophone and flute. He is a true master of both instruments and it is a great pleasure to hear him beautifully recorded by the people of Three Blind Mice label. A masterpiece, with great sound.

Kimiko Kasai is a Japanese jazz singer (now - retired). Throughout her career Kimiko recorded numerous jazz albums in collaboration with some of the most renowned musicians in the jazz field, such as Billy Higgins, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson, and Herbie Hancock. "Yellow Carcass in the Blue" is considered an important album by Kimiko Kasai in which she really began to show her original qualities. At the same time, as the "double bill" credit suggests, it was also a showcase for the Kosuke Mine Quartet, which plays two tunes on their own.

Masayuki 'Jojo' Takayanagi was a Japanese jazz / free improvisation / noise musician. He was active in the Japanese jazz scene from the late 1950s. New Century Music Institute is a translation of the Japanese 新世紀音楽研究所. Released in Japan as part of Three Blind Mouses' label collection, this live album features "Greensleeves" by Masayuki Takayanagi, the monumental work in Japanese Jazz history.

Japanese jazz is one of jazz's best-kept secrets. But, it would be a a huge loss to miss “Mine”, the sublime first album of Kosuke Mine Quintet, released in 1970 on the legendary Three Blind Mice label. The record, made of 4 long pieces where Kosuke Mine’s sax (alto and soprano) and Hideo Ichikawa’s fender Rhodes never stop to respond each other is a monument of dense and spiritual jazz.

Bassist Hideto Kanai has been leading the progressive jazz scene in Japan since the 1960s, and this 1978 recording is considered as one of his major achievements. Kanai's regular group, consisting of three young Japanese musicians and an American expat drummer Michael Reznikoff, recorded four long numbers – ranging from six to 13 minutes each – within just six hours. "Mr. Gabe" and "Silk Road" are original compositions by Kanai. The searching and experimental quality of their performance clearly shows that they have gone through the free jazz movement, but it is not totally atonal nor without structure.

Masaru Imada is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. "Now!!" was the second album released by the fledgling Three Blind Mice, and the pianist's first leader album for the label. All four tunes are Imada's original compositions. The two slow numbers - "Nostalgia" and "The Shadow of the Castle" show his lyrical, "quiet but emotional", qualities. "Alter" is an adventurous tune whose focus is on free improvisation while "Gehi Dorian" is a modal composition as the title suggests.

Hiroshi Fukumura is a Japanese jazz trombonist. He played with Sadao Watanabe for much of the 1970s, excepting a period where he studied in the United States at the New England Conservatory of Music. Fukumura led his own quintet, which included Shigeharu Mukai as a sideman, for this studio recording and a live release in 1973. He also was a member of Native Son and also worked with Takehiro Honda, Gil Evans, Hidefumi Toki, and others.

When this album was recorded in 1975, Yoshiko Goto had been singing for 20 years. As is always the case, she could have made more money singing pops, but she would rather not sing at all if she was not singing jazz. In this, another memorable vocal album from Three Blind Mice, Goto is paired wih a quartet led by bassist Takashi Mizuhashi, with young pianist Junichiro Ohashi (this was his recording debut) and alto saxophonist Yoshio Otomo providing romantic solos and counterpoints.

Shigeko Toya was considered a rising star in jazz singing when she made this debut album for the Three Blind Mice label in 1972. Classically trained pianist, she had taken voice lessons and developed her unique, soulful style. Unfortunately for her fans, she made only albums before getting married and retiring completely.

Born in 1936, Naosuke Miyamoto was already a veteran bassist when he made this debut album as a leader. In 1960 he had joined George Kawaguchi's Big Four Plus One band and played with Sadao Watanabe. For this first album he had waited more than 15 years to make, he assembled established musicians about his age and younger musicians with fresh sensibilities. The fiery playing style of the band reflects their influences from the post-bop movements by progressive artists such as John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter.

Another fine example of Japanese jazz from the mid-1970s, this set is led by cellist and bassist Isao Suzuki and features the earliest recorded performances of guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. Four tracks make up the recording, of which two are covers, the opening standard "Body and Soul" (complete with opening melody played on the bass) and "Play Fiddle Play," and two originals, which stack up very well against such classic material. This set was a follow-up to a huge breakthrough album for Suzuki called Blow Up, recorded a year earlier in 1973.

Joji "George" Kawaguchi was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader. The Big Four had their debut concert in a large theater, Nichigeki in Yurakucho, Tokyo in May 1953. The Big Four was named the Number 1 combo in the 1954 by Swing Journal poll and created an all-time Jazz boom in Japan. George Kawaguchi was voted Number 1 drummer six years in a row. The Big Four played intermittently into the 1980s. George Kawaguchi played extensively with Art Blakey on tour in the 1980s. He also recorded extensively as a leader until his death in 2003.