Masayuki Takayanagi - Holy Holy

2025

A vital document of late-period Japanese jazz innovation, Holy Holy captures Masayuki Takayanagi in a moment of creative transition. Recorded live on December 8, 1985, at Aketa no Mise, this session features Takayanagi’s razor-sharp guitar in dialogue with two double basses: Nobuyoshi Ino and Toru Saitoh. The result is a soundscape of overwhelming depth and intensity, where the deep, undulating resonance of the twin basses intertwines with Takayanagi’s incisive lines.

On Holy Holy, the trio reimagines the music of Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman through their own radical lens, delivering performances that leave a powerful impact on the listener. The interplay between Ino and Saitoh’s basses creates a shifting, oceanic foundation, while Takayanagi’s guitar cuts through with both aggression and precision. This recording marks the final activity of Takayanagi’s “Angry Wave’s” project, just before he and Saitoh would embark on their celebrated duo work and the New Direction Unit would evolve into “Action Direct.”

Holy Holy stands as a testament to Takayanagi’s restless artistry at a pivotal point in his career, capturing an important transitional moment in Japanese jazz history. The album is an essential listen for fans of avant-garde and free jazz, and a powerful reminder of Takayanagi’s enduring legacy.