Year : 1970
Label : Polydor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock
The legendary drummer Akira Ishikawa & his Count Buffalos were prolific on the japanese fusion scene since the late sixties. Akira Ishikawa started in the mid-fifties when he joined the Akira Miyazawa's Modern All Stars and later the famous "New Herd" big band conducted by saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama. Akira Ishikawa becomes renown as bandleader for the Japanese version of rock musical ‘Hair’ from Broadway. Thereafter he becomes a sought-after session musician playing for various artists including japanese jazz/pop songstress Mieko Hirota, and formed the supergroup "Freedom Unity", a jazz quintet featuring pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba and trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. After a trip in eastern Africa, Akira introduces in his music various traditional afro-percussions (as the Bakishinba) brought back of his wanderings, in order to create a fusion between African music, Jazz, Rock & Soul, which will reach its apogee with the iconic album, "Uganda", released in 1972. Titles include soul jazz tracks "Sandstorm", "Flamingo" & "Blue Soul" (composed by Hiromasa Suzuki), the psychedelic-jazz-rock suite with free expressions "African Deer" (composed by Norio Maeda). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda & Hiromasa Suzuki.
COUNT BUFFALOS : Akira Ishikawa - drums & african percussion - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - electric guitar - Isao Eto - electric bass - Hirosama Suzuki - keyboards - Norio Maeda - organ - Takeru Muraoka - tenor sax - Masami Kawahara - latin percussion
