Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock
"Head Rock" is an essential japanese jazz album, an iconic masterpiece recorded by the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, introducing his legendary first jazz quintet, the "Soul Media" featuring guitarist Ryo Kawasaki (his first professional appearance), Masaru Imada (org), Yasuo Arakawa (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp) and Sadakazu Tabata (ds). Recorded in 1969 for the famous Takt Jazz Series (the japanese 'Blue Note'), "Head Rock" includes all elements of psychedelic music (guitar fuzz effects, reverb, rock drum breaks and acid organ), cover songs from Hal Galper (The Vamp), Willie Dixon (amazing version of blues standard "Spoonful"), originals composed by Ryo Kawasaki (Twenty One), Masaru Imada (High Jack), Yasuo Arakawa (The Ground For Peace) and Jiro (Head Rock). Jiro Inagaki started in 1963, recruited by american jazz songstress Helen Merrill alongside the Takeshi Inomata's West Liners formation for the album "Helen Merrill In Tokyo". From the late sixties to the early seventies, he was one of the main actor of the Japanese Jazz Rock scene, before turn to Jazz Funk music.
