Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Nobuo Hara And Sharps & Flats - Double Exposure


Year : 1970
Label : Liberty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Modal, Funk/Soul, Folk

A project mixing Jazz with Oriental expressions by the most famous Japanese Big Band featuring the great "Lady of Jazz", pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi as arranger and composer. As the Count Basie Orchestra, "Sharps & Flats" has been a springboard for many outstanding japanese jazz musicians like Hiroshi Suzuki (tb), Takao Naoi from The Count Buffalos (eg), Toshihiko Ogawa (p), Hiroshi Takeuchi (b), Koji Suzuki (as) or Teruyuki Fukushima (tp), all playing on "Double Exposure". Toshiko brings her contribution with four own compositions : "Let's Roll In Sake" including dynamic drums breaks, the oriental piece "Sumie", "Fool" & the extended bluesy tune "Double Exposure". Titles also include "Ostinatism" & "Lonely Girl Of East" composed by Eiichi Fujii.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Harold Alexander - Sunshine Man


Year : 1971
Label : Flying Dutchman
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul

Soul Jazz masterpiece including the two iconic "Mama Soul/Sunshine Man" tracks by saxophonist/flutist Harold 'Jazzbo' Alexander featuring pianist Neal Creque, drummer Bernard Purdie, percussionist Richard Landrum & bassist Richard Davis. Harold Alexander shared stage alongside Elvin Jones, Jimmy Davis or Eric Dolphy, session musician in groups Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers with Neal CrequeRichard Landrum, and was sideman for organist Big John Patton during the "Understanding" & "Boogaloo" sessions recordings. He released two others albums during this period, "Are You Ready ?" (live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival) and the "Raw Root" in 1974, before leave the world of music. All tracks composed & arranged by Harold Alexander.

Buddy Rich - Roar Of '74


Year : 1974
Label : Groove Merchant
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Contempory Jazz, Funk/Soul

The "Roar of '74" is the first of five albums released by the Buddy Rich Big Band on the crossover jazz label, "Groove Merchant", founded by band leader Sonny Lester. Drummer Buddy Rich goes on his Rhythm & Blues orientation (started in 1971 with "A Different Drummer" album), featuring guitarist Joe Beck, bassist Tony Levin, pianist Buddy Budson & soloist saxophonist Pat LaBarbera. Titles include jazz covers from Horace Silver (Nutville) with insane drum breaks, Duke Ellington (Prelude To A Kiss), the heavy funk "Big Mac", "Kilimanjaro Cookout" to the african expressions (arranged by Manny Albam), and the two pure Big Band style "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters" & "Senator Sam". All tracks produced by Sonny Lester.

Michel Legrand - Archi Cordes

Year : 2009/1964 
Label : Vadim Music/Philips
Genre : Jazz, Pop
Style : Big Band, Easy Listening
 
Pop-Jazz album including scat songs with strings ensemble conducted & performed by Michel Legrand Et Son Orchestre featuring Elek Bacsik, famous guitarist on Serge Gainsbourg's "Confidentiel" album released the previous year. This iconic album is returned to the light in 1996, thanks to the track "Di-Gue-Ding-Ding" which was selected for the easy-listening compilation "Inflight Entertainment". The french maestro pianist who enrolled Miles Davis, Bill Evans & John Coltrane for his legendary album "Legrand Jazz" recorded in 1958, was arranger for Maurice Chevalier, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz. But Legrand is best known as composer of over 100 films music and television (The Thomas Crown Affair, Summer 42, Never Say Never Again...), popular among french filmmakers from the New Wave, in particular, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Demy, Agnès Varda, Chris Marker or Claude Chabrol. Titles include only compositions by Michel Legrand except Orange Blossom Special by Ervin T. Rouse.

Masaru Imada Quartet - Now!


Year : 1970
Label : Three Blind Mice
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Post Bop, Free Jazz

Essential Japanese Jazz album recorded on TBM, second as a leader by pianist Masaru Imada featuring saxophonist Ichiro Mimori, bassist Takashi 'Gon' Mizuhashi & drummer Masahiko Ozu. Masaru Imada is one of these Japanese Jazz masters who evolved in various "figurehead" groups of the Japanese Jazz, at the dawn of the 70s. Masaru played in groups Takeshi Inomata's West Liners (alongside Ichiro Mimori), Tadayuki Harada's group, Bingo Miki's Inner Galaxy Orchestra and was a former member of the iconic jazz rock band Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media. The bassist Takashi Mizuhashi was sideman for Sadao Watanabe, George Otsuka, Isao Suzuki, Terumasa Hino and also member of the legendary George Kawaguchi's Big 4 & Kosuke Mine Quintet. Titles include only original compositions arranged by Masaru Imada including Modal Jazz & free improvisations.


Various - Mobilisation Générale : Protest And Spirit Jazz From France


Year : 2013
Label : Born Bad Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde

Music from the revolutionaries inspired by the Beat Generation & the counterculture featuring Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Brigitte Fontaine, Full Moon Ensemble, Michel Roques, François Tusques Le Collectif Du Temps Des Cerises. Great spiritual jazz associated to poetry, spoken words & african/arabic rhythms, performed by various French underground artists in the Paris '70 which polarized african culture & the protest spirit during this decade. The whole of a generation politically committed & anti-militarist influenced by the Free Jazz movement with for main inspirations John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler or Pharoah Sanders. All tracks are selected by JB Born Bad Julien Achard Digger's digest, released for French label, Born Bad Records.

DISC 1: Alfred Panou & Art Ensemble Of ChicagoJe Suis Un Sauvage / Brigitte Fontaine & Areski BelkacemC'est Normal / Atarpop 73 & Le Collectif Le Temps Des CerisesAttention... L'Armée / RK NagatiDe L'Orient A L'Orion / Frédéric Rufin & Raphaël LecomteLes Eléphants / François TusquesNous Allons Vous Conter... (Intercommunal Blues)

DISC 2 :MahjunNous Ouvrirons Les Casernes / Full Moon EnsembleSamba Miaou / Baroque Jazz TrioOrientasie / Michel Roques - Le Cri / Chêne NoirHey / Beatrice ArnacAthée Ou A Te

Astrud Gilberto - Beach Samba

 
Year : 1966
Label : Verve
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Pop

Astrud Gilberto surrounded by orchestra conducted by Don Sebesky featuring flutist Hubert Laws & Toots Thielemans (guitar, whistle), rhythm section including bassist Ron Carter, drummer Grady Tate, Marcos Valle (guitar) and Georges Devens (vibraphone). "Beach Samba" was cut for international audience (like the Marcos Valle's "Samba '68"), benefiting of the Eumir Deodato and Don Sebesky's arrangements to the jazz pop orientation. Titles include a songs alternation in portuguese and english lyrics, "The Face I Love" by Marcos Valle, the jazz standard "My Foolish Heart", the banda "Parade" by Chico Buarque, two covers of Luiz Bonfa ("Oba Oba", "Dia Das Rosas") and Deodato contribution's with "Canoeiro" & "Não Bate O Coração". All tracks produced by Creed Taylor. "Beach Samba" is included in the "1001 Discs To Listen Before Die" book.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...