John Kaizan Neptune is widely acknowledged to be among the top masters of the shakuhachi, or Japanese bamboo flute. Well-known in Japan, this California native is also an accomplished jazz artist and composer who has gained respect in both the East and West for his versatile and technically sophisticated melting pot of sounds.
The boundaries of all the arts, and of music in particular, are constantly expanding. The use of comparatively unfamiliar instruments in jazz and related idioms, for example, has helped broaden the scope of our most exciting listening experiences in recent years. After an examination of the stimulating and original music offered by John Kaizan Neptune in his album "Bamboo", I am convinced that there will be an important place for him, and for the shakuhachi, in the music of the coming decade. --- Leonard Feather
Best recording of the year, Japan awards for 1980.