Masao Yagi has been active since the dawn of modern jazz in Japan, and has greatly contributed to the development of the scene as a pianist/composer/arranger. His first album “Playing Thelonious Monk” (1960) has become an important work in the history of Japanese jazz, but compared to his ability, the number of works is small, and as a pianist he has produced only a few. Just count. In addition to Akira Miyazawa and Kiyoshi Sugimoto, studio musicians such as Michio Nagaoka, Hideo Yamaki, and Osamu Nakajima, who were active in SHŌGUN, participated in this work recorded in 1979. Masterpieces such as the exotic “Blossom in the Water” and the tight groove of “No Ifs No Buts” that create a crossover sound unique to Yagi with the wonderful arrangement and the beauty of the melody.