Indigo Jam Unit

A killer combo from Japan — a club jazz unit that mixes warm, round bass with hard-hitting piano — all held together nicely with two drummers on the bottom, and some very crisp production. The sound is totally great — a stripped-down take on the mix of modal and soul jazz styles that have been coming from some of the Japanese and European club jazz groups of late.

Without any horns to get in the way, there's an added focus on the acoustic bass and heavy drums, which makes for a nicely funky sound overall.

These guys are totally great, way better than the "jam unit" name might make you think — steeped in classic jazz roots, but coming across with a very fresh, very contemporary groove.