Sights (Japanese band)

Sights
OriginKyoto, Japan
GenresFree jazz, improvisational music
Years active1990–c.2000s

Sights (stylized as SIGHTS) was a Japanese improvisational jazz trio formed in Kyoto in 1990, featuring trombonist Yutaka Ohara, bassist Hiroshi Funato and drummer Yasuhiro Yoshigaki. They were a prominent force in the 1990s Kansai free improvisation scene, noted for their energetic live performances and eclectic musical style.

History

The group emerged out of Kyoto’s vibrant underground jazz and performance spaces. According to Jazz Critique No. 86 (1996), they played regularly in venues such as Minoya Hall and Kobe’s Big Apple, blending improvisation with theatrical flair to create a sound that was “joyful, powerful and intense.”[1]

According to contributor Hiroshi Funato in Jazz Critique No. 89 (1996), Sights stood out within the Kyoto scene for their adventurous spirit and the trio's deep musical rapport. They offered a live experience that was both approachable and challenging—reminiscent of a communal musical conversation, not just a performance.[2]

A live review by Toyoki Okajima in the same issue described their sound as “like a marching brass band passing through the venue,” despite the trio format.[3]

Musical style

The band's music drew on a mixture of influences—marching band rhythms, calypso, Afro-Caribbean, swing and Latin grooves—woven into dense, vibrant trio improvisations. Ohara cited salsa and Afro-Cuban traditions as early inspirations, Funato brought African and European elements, and Yoshigaki contributed rhythmic flexibility and intensity.[1]

Reception

Contemporary reviews in Jazz Critique praised Sights for their unique sound and their role in energizing the Kansai jazz scene of the 1990s. Their live performances were remembered as communal and exuberant—like a living, breathing musical dialogue rather than a structured solo show.[2][3]

Discography

This discography is based on listings in Jazz Critique and Japanese archival sources.[1][2]

El Sur

Sur Music OYO-1, cassette, 1990

First Sight

Recording: April–May 1992, Sound Inn CAT (Shin-Osaka CAT Music School studio)
Release: August 15, 1992, DNA ACT-1 (CD, ¥2,718) [4] [5]

No. Title Duration Composer
1 Fall To Funk 2:32 Yutaka Ohara
2 El Sur 6:19
3 Africa Suites Part1 / Part2 9:55
4 Dexpso 4:31
5 O-Yo 4:40
6 Days 6:49
7 Tarara ~ Matsuri 6:07
8 Insects’ House 2:29

Pink: Live at Big Apple

Sur Music OYO-2, cassette, 1994

Tatta

Recording: January 1995
Release: September 25, 1995, Voice From All Access VAA-001 (CD, ¥2,884) [6]

No. Title Composer
1 Jump Up! Yutaka Ohara
2 Barcelona
3 Shuffle
4 Ojara
5 Meu Voz
6 Tatta
7 ?
8 Adam
9 Pink
10 Results
11 Insects House
12 Far a Way

El Sur

OFF NOTE reissue, CD, 2001 [7]

No. Title
1 Tarara ~ Matsuri
2 Days
3 Choto
4 One Morning ~ Cafe Naniwa
5 Sur
6 Insect House

References

  1. ^ a b c "現代日本ジャズの諸相（3）：関西から吹く熱い風" [Phases of Contemporary Japanese Jazz (3): The Hot Wind Blowing from Kansai]. Jazz Critique (ジャズ批評) (in Japanese). No. 86. January 1996. pp. 229–231.
  2. ^ a b c "ライヴの現場から part-3 関西編 featuring 京都" [From the Live Scene Part-3: Kansai Edition featuring Kyoto]. Jazz Critique (ジャズ批評) (in Japanese). No. 89. October 1996. pp. 260–262.
  3. ^ a b "ライヴレポート：サイツ" [Live Report: Sights]. Jazz Critique (ジャズ批評) (in Japanese). No. 89. October 1996. p. 287.
  4. ^ Swing Journal, Vol. 46 No. 7 (June 1992), p.261, "Furuban News" section. Reported that on April 9, 1992, a recording session was held at the Shin-Osaka CAT Music School studio with Yutaka Ohara (tb), Hiroshi Funato (b), and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (ds), and that the release on the DNA label was scheduled for mid-June. [1]
  5. ^ Swing Journal, Vol. 46 No. 13 (December 1992), advertisement section (Virgin Megastore). Confirms the CD release of First Sight by SIGHTS. [2]
  6. ^ Swing Journal, Vol. 49 No. 11 (October 1995), p.178, Album review section. [3]
  7. ^ OFF NOTE: El Sur product page.
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