Liner Notes

Horace Silver ’s 1962 tour of Japan had a profound impact on the pianist who returned to the U. S. and dedicated his subsequent album The Tokyo Blues to his fervent Japanese fans. Along with his quintet featuring trumpeter Blue Mitchell , tenor saxophonist Junior Cook , bassist Gene Taylor , and drummer John Harris Jr.

, Silver delivered an inspired 5-song set including his alluring originals “The Tokyo Blues,” “Too Much Sake,” “Sayonara Blues,” and “Ah! So,” as well as Ronnell Bright’s lovely ballad “Cherry Blossom.” Silver had noticed a love of Latin music among the Japanese jazz fans he met and in his compositions he sought to “combine the Japanese feeling in the melodies with the Latin feeling in the rhythms.”