HMV&BOOKS online - Japanese Pop|11 hours ago
Two of Jiro Inagaki's classic albums are being released on 180g heavy vinyl, pure vinyl format!
2026年04月22日 (水) 18:00
|HMV&BOOKS online - Jazz
Two of Jiro Inagaki's classic albums are being released on 180g heavy vinyl, pure vinyl format!

Polished jazz.Forged rock.Sharpened funk.
All of it is absorbed, and a powerful, unyielding groove begins to run.
Formed in 1969, Soul Media set out with a clear mission to fuse jazz and rock. That approach took a decisive next step with In The Groove, recorded in 1973. Here, the sharpness of jazz is brought to the forefront, rock elements are dissolved and refined to give a cutting edge, and funk is injected to add drive, elasticity, and physical force. The result is a body of music that transcends existing genre labels—jazz-rock, jazz-funk, or fusion—and stands instead as something simply, undeniably cool: strong yet sophisticated.
This album is often described as Soul Media’s response to The Crusaders, a band that saxophonist Jiro Inagaki was paying close attention to at the time. The aim hit its mark. With In The Groove, Soul Media acquired a “refined black feeling”, setting them firmly on the path toward their ultimate destination: Funky Stuff.
Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)
Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media『In The Groove』
Release Date:2026.8.26(wed)Catalogue Number:HMJY-236
Format:Pure Vinyl / 180g
Tracklist
Side A
1. That’s How I Feel
2. Blue Blood
3. It’s Impossible
4. Put It Where You Want It
5. Crazy Medicine
Side B
1. Joie De Vivre
2. Papa Hooper’s Barrel House Groove
3. Thrill Is Gone
4. Raven Speaks
5. Samba Chimba

A masterpiece of jazz rock by true master Jiro Inagaki.
Beyond jazz rock.
What Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, ultimately arrived at was a tight, cool, and ultimate groove.
As Inagaki himself has stated that he “played black funk” on this album, the explosive jazz-rock foundation he had cultivated up to that point is fused with the stickiness, elasticity, and physicality of black music—elevating his musical vision to an entirely new dimension. Combined with the masterful arrangements of Hiromasa Suzuki, the groove is polished to a high sheen, growing richer, more fluid, and subtly seductive.
Every track stands out: the vibrant, driving energy of “Painted Paradise”; the coexistence of funkiness and mellowness on “Breeze”; and the low-slung, razor-sharp cover of Kool & The Gang’s “Funky Stuff”.
Now regarded as a definitive classic, this album remains in constant demand from listeners around the world.
Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)
Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media『Funky Stuff』
Release Date:2026.8.26(wed)Catalogue Number:HMJY-237
Format:Pure Vinyl / 180g
Tracklist
Side A
1. Painted Paradise
2. Funky Motion
3. Breeze
4. Scratch
Side B
1. Funky Stuff
2. One For Jiro
3. Gentle Wave
4. Four Up
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