欧米と日本での評価 (というか温度差) が全く異なるミュージシャンというのは、どんな音楽ジャンルでもいるものですね。例えばここで紹介する トミー・フラナガン / Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001) も、欧米では名サポート役としては評価されているものの、日本での根強いファンの多さに比べると、受け止められ方が随分違うものだなと改めて感じます。

In any musical genres, there are such musicians that “tempreture” of popularity is different among Japan, Europe and North America. Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001, a Jazz pianist), for example, was famous as a sideman and much underrated as a leader, while in Japan he had so many enthusiasts. The fact itself is very interesting.

1950年代から名脇役として活躍してきた彼も、1960年代までに残したリーダー作は多くありません。Pablo レーベルからリリースされた “The Tokyo Recital” (1975) 以後、リーダー録音がコンスタントに行われていきますが、元々はこのアルバム自体も、日本側からの熱烈な要望によって実現した、と聞いたことがあります。

Tommy Flanagan started his professional career early, and he was already an important part in the Detroit Jazz scene in the early 1950s. However, he had few chance to record albums as a leader during 1950s-1960s, until Pablo label released “The Tokyo Recital” (1975). Since then, he constantly released leader albums until his passaway. Interestingly, I have heard that the Tokyo Recital album was recorded and released due to high demand from Japanese fans.

そんな Flanagan の代表作として日本で大人気なのが、1957年 Stockholm 録音の初リーダー作 “Overseas” (Metronome 原盤でオリジナル盤は EP 3枚組) でしょう。確かに演奏といい、選曲といい、全体の構成といい、文句のつけようのない大名盤といえます。当時リリースされた 2作目は Moosville レーベルからリリースされた “The Tommy Flanagan Trio” (1960年) でしたが、この前年に録音された未発表リーダー録音が 1979年に日本でリリースされました。

Especially in Japan, his most famous and most popular album has been “Overseas” (1957), his first leader recording with Wilbur Little and Elvin Jones in Stockholm, Sweden (original issue was from Metronome label in 3 EP format). Actually the album is a masterpiece – performances, the tunes, and totality is all great. Then his next leader album appeared as “The Tommy Flanagan Trio” (1960), released by Moosville label. However, there is one more leader session by Flanagan in 1959, and it became firstly public in 1979 as a Japan-only LP issue.

Lonely Town / Tommy Flanagan
(Blue Note / King Japan GP-3186)