YPAM

The Marginal History of FREE JAZZ in Japan

Yokohama, a city united by jazz! Yokohama Jazz Promenade Satellite

KUDO Haruka / HABAYA Kazuma / HOSODA Narushi

Criticism, Audience, Photography, Film, and Advertising: A Jazz Archive Beyond the Record

• Japan
• Sound/Music
• Workshop/Talk

It's been 60 years since the birth of the Masahiko Togashi Quartet, arguably Japan's first free jazz group. The group disbanded after just a few months and released no records. Instead, their existence has been passed down to future generations through the testimonials of participating members, critics, and audience members who witnessed their performances. Thus, in the history of free jazz in Japan, there are groups and endeavors that, while not recorded, have been passed down through various non-sound-based "traces." Given the avant-garde and experimental nature of free jazz, many forms of expression cannot be fully grasped through sound alone. This lecture will examine the role of art university archives today, and by focusing on "traces" left on the "periphery" of music—including criticism, audiences, photography, video, and advertising—will consider how records of non-documentary artistic practices will be preserved. It will also examine the importance of "peripheral" elements in discussing free jazz as a cultural phenomenon with a temporal and spatial reach.