An Introduction to Jazz for Adults: The Recommended Jazz Manga BLUE GIANT
Jazz is quiet music, right?
Jazz is, you know… that thing, isn’t it?
The kind you often hear as background music.
Isn’t that the sort of image many people who don’t listen to much music have?
Did you know there’s a shocking jazz manga that overturns that image?
Lately it’s been getting a surge of attention and shooting up in keyword rankings.
BLUE GIANT
The protagonist, Dai Miyamoto (hereafter: Dai), a basketball team member with no connection to jazz
One day, Dai was taken by a friend to a live JAZZ performance they happened to go see, and his heart was utterly stolen by it.
I don’t have the height or the jumping ability to make a dunk.
The body has its limits.
But if it’s sound, then surely…
I can’t read sheet music and I don’t even know the standard numbers (standard tunes).
I start practicing the tenor sax all by myself, recklessly, and just keep charging straight ahead.
In Dai’s heart: “I will absolutely become the greatest jazz player in the world.”
That was the only thought.
BLUE GIANT Shinichi Ishizuka (Author) Shogakukan
empathize with the protagonist
Earnestly, every single day—on rainy days, scorching hot days, and snowy days—I keep playing the saxophone down by the riverbank.
On his first stage performance, he gets yelled at by the audience and ends in a huge failure, yet Dai keeps playing the saxophone.
The single-minded heart of the reckless boy resonates with readers and performers.
And also the connections with Dai’s supportive family and the friends around him.
While they keep playing alone, isn't their unselfconsciousness—unaware of how greatly they influence those around them—also a lovable quality?
I found myself completely empathizing with Dai, whose form and way of thinking change drastically and grow with fierce intensity.
BLUE GIANT Shinichi Ishizuka (Author) Shogakukan
A quote that resonates more deeply with the heart the more you read it.
BLUE GIANT Shinichi Ishizuka (Author) Shogakukan
I imagine many people were shocked by this single remark.
That's right.
Lay down the melody of that day, that time, that very moment!!
Every day is different!! Fierce and free—that's jazz!!
I don’t like jazz because it’s stylish…
...I...
Because the jazz is insanely hot and intense.
I don't know what being the best in the world means, but there's one thing I do know.
Whether I'm happy or sad, any feeling can be put into sound.
Each word really packs a punch.
I’d really like you to start from Volume 1 and look for the words that truly resonate with you.
The saxophone used by the protagonist, Dai Miyamoto
The saxophone from SELMER that my older brother secretly bought without telling Dai.
I was surprised by the kindness of the older brother who bought it for my younger brother, who wants to play jazz.
Dai’s overwhelming gratitude—so great that he ran out of the house in tears—toward his older brother’s kindness in paying the 516,000 yen over 36 installments may be what’s pushing him to pursue his goal of becoming the best jazz player in the world.
SELMER
Henri Selmer Paris is a French musical instrument manufacturer.
There was also an instrument manufacturer in the United States called the Selmer Company, but although it shares the same origin, it is a separate company.
They manufacture and sell saxophones, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons, as well as trumpets, trombones, guitars, and more, and are especially highly regarded worldwide for their saxophones.
Famous jazz songs that appear in manga
BLUE GIANT Shinichi Ishizuka (Author) Shogakukan
Starting with Sonny Rollins, many classic tracks by jazz players will continue to appear throughout the work.
A compilation album inspired by the world of 'BLUE GIANT' has been released, and I’d like to introduce a few tracks from it.
be/8mag-5RigGY
Nukes Fade Away | Sonny Rollins
Real name: Theodore Walter Rollins.
A representative performer of hard bop (a style of modern jazz often described as passionately emphasizing the blues sensibility of Black musicians).
He is hailed as a giant of the jazz saxophone world, on par with John Coltrane.
This person’s improvisation is like singing, and it’s popular with many jazz fans.
be/AMTkmZtPaq0
Confirmation | Charlie Parker
An alto saxophonist who was involved in creating the so-called bebop style—the prototype of modern jazz (regardless of whether later artists inherited it or reacted against it, this music is most commonly cited as the origin of modern jazz).
It’s also well known that he brought none other than Miles Davis into his band.
be/yXK0pZx92MU
Someday, Somewhere | Clifford Brown
An outstanding trumpet player from the early hard bop period.
A player whose lustrous tone has led people to call him the reincarnation of Fats Navarro, the genius trumpeter who died at 26.
youtube.
com/watch?v=FdklmH_hM8w
Tempus Fugit | Bud Powell
A jazz pianist hailed as the father of modern jazz piano.
They are well known for creating the piano trio format—piano, bass, and drums—which continues to this day.
be/yrO45Tzvhxg
Deep Night | Sonny Clark
A jazz pianist who has mainly released works on Blue Note.
In particular, Sonny Clark was very popular in Japan, and his tracks were frequently played in jazz cafes.
Isn't the album 'Cool Struttin'' the one that stands out the most?
I’ve heard that the font used in the logo of the bookstore where you can have fun, VILLAGE VANGUARD, was directly influenced by the font of this very album.
Afterword
How about it—have I managed to pique your interest at least a little?
Personally, I feel that the genre of jazz is still not very well known within the band scene that’s so prevalent in the world today.
However, the author hopes that through this manga titled BLUE GIANT, the greatness and passion of jazz will be conveyed.
Even in a constrained world, each day and each moment is different. Perhaps it’s good to immerse yourself in the world of jazz, where you can think freely.
What is something you should be listening to right now?
BLUE GIANT Shinichi Ishizuka (Author) Shogakukan