December 10, 2021
Blue Note
2xLP
First Flight To Tokyo is a standout record for a number of reasons. Let's list them below:
1) The lineup: Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Jymie Merritt. Woah. This was the Jazz Messengers at one of their peaks, with the respective players garnering acclaim of their own accord. To see them together was just shy of divine providence.
2) The two-week tour the Jazz Messengers took across Japan was among the first of its kind. Jazz was still bourgeoning in the East, and a tour by such stalwarts as listed above was no small deal.
3) The reception. It's amazing to hear recollections of the band's time in Japan. It's often mentioned that the cheers and love they received stood in stark contrast to how they were received in their native U.S. Blakey was revered in Japan. They pined after him. He was a rockstar. There was an appreciation for their art that was not shared at home.
4) To the point, these recordings were lost (read: largely ignored) until just four years ago, where they were unearthed and treated to the beautiful mastering that has become Blue Note's calling card.
5) It slaps.