A quick one before we jump back into The Flower Kings series. Sometimes you just know something is going to work for you. I read the description for Rock Communication, the 1970 album from composer Norio Maeda and was instantly intrigued. More and more I’ve been drawn to how other countries and cultures interpret and absorb more western expressions of music. Finally available in NorthAmerica on CD (rather than a pricey import), Rock Communication excels at the Japanese soul jazz that was percolating in the region at the time, and recalls to my ears some of the prime arrangements Zappa was doing in the 70s as well as the jazz-inflected scores David Holmes composed for Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series. If that appeals to you, this is going to down down just fine…