It’s been a long overdue Miles Davis kind of Sunday morning. The fact that today is the first rainy and overcast day in weeks makes it all the more fitting for “Kind of Blue” which followed a listening of “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud” Miles’ soundtrack to the groundbreaking 1958 French crime thriller film with the same name, which I was turned on to by the subject of today’s Tokyo Record Style post, Mr. Ian Bob Thomas, who was visiting Tokyo for the first time from Adelaide, Australia with his lovely family. I caught up with them rather late in the evening outside of Tower Records in Shibuya after dad must have dragged the (I’m judging “cool-with-it”) fam up to 6th (or is it 7th?) floor where lies a little slice of vinyl heaven and where he picked up a copy of Kind of Blue and Chet Baker Sings, two essential albums for any jazz head’s collection.
The Thomas family were nothing but smiles, and a hunch tells that between his two charismatic adult kids who had both already been to Japan on previous trips, and the charming and beautiful wife who was “Go on now, let the cameraman make your photo!” (and relating as a dad of two myself, and the fact that you are never a prophet of your own land), I’m guessing it’s not often that that dad ever takes the spotlight for himself.
Well, Ian, your excellent taste in music makes you the coolest in your family today. Your good nature and magnetic personality has no doubt rubbed off on all of them, but let’s face it, they’re not the ones who thought it was a good idea to drop by Tower Records to pick up two supremely hip and sophisticated masterpieces, no less carrying them for you. And as they say down under, “Good on ya” for taking the fam to Japan. Ace dadding! For the hard work and sacrifice you make (and for all the Dads out there doing their best) remember to treat yourself to a record or two every now and again. And hey, you may never be a prophet in your own land, but this is Japan, and maybe every now and again we should all pay a bit more honor to our paterfamilias, cuz there are some pretty cool dads out there, and Ian is certainly one.
More TRS on the way.
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue
Label: DOL – DOL725HG
Format: Vinyl, LP, Reissue, Special Edition, Gatefold
Country: Europe
Released: 2017
Genre: Jazz
Style: Modal
https://www.discogs.com/release/10801021-Miles-Davis-Kind-Of-Blue
Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings
Label: WaxTime In Color – 950626
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, Yellow, 180g
Country: Europe
Released: 2018
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop, Cool Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/11956942-Chet-Baker-Chet-Baker-Sings
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