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.
The group emerged from 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 âÂÂjoyful, powerful and intense.âÂÂ
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 challengingâÂÂreminiscent of a communal musical conversation, not just a performance.
A live review by Toyoki Okajima in the same issue described their sound as âÂÂlike a marching brass band passing through the venue,â despite the trio format.
The band's music drew on a mixture of influencesâÂÂmarching band rhythms, calypso, Afro-Caribbean, swing and Latin groovesâÂÂwoven 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.
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 exuberantâÂÂlike a living, breathing musical dialogue rather than a structured solo show.
This discography is based on listings in Jazz Critique and Japanese archival sources.
Sur Music OYO-1, cassette, 1990
Recording: AprilâÂÂMay 1992, Sound Inn CAT (Shin-Osaka CAT Music School studio)<br /> Release: August 15, 1992, DNA ACT-1 (CD, ÃÂ¥2,718)
Sur Music OYO-2, cassette, 1994
Recording: January 1995<br /> Release: September 25, 1995, Voice From All Access VAA-001 (CD, ÃÂ¥2,884)
OFF NOTE reissue, CD, 2001