Bop or Not Session #3 for Radio RAPTZ ~ Funk Party

Bop or Not Session #3 for Parisian webradio RADiO RAPTZ including Hip-Hop, Breakbeat, Afro-Disco & Jazz Funk from Japan to America by Europe. It features Marcos Valle, Force Of Nature, Steve Monite, Five Deez, DJ Muro, The Procussions and more...

TRACKLiST : Specifics - Thats Just Gold - Marcos Valle - A Paraíba Não E Chicago - Mighty Salad Syndicate - Funky Horse - Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro - Word Pack - DJ Mitsu The Beats Feat. Promoe - Material Curse - Force Of Nature - Unstoppable - Steve Monite - Only You - Livy Ekemezie - Get It Down - Chris Joss - A Part In That Show - Eyedea & Abilities - Big Shots - Five Deez - Funky - DJ Muro Feat. De La Soul & Lunch Time Speax - So Cool - Dagha Feat. Al Jabra - Conquerors - The Procussions - All That It Takes

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Hozan Yamamoto With Sharps & Flats - Beautiful Bamboo Flute

Year : 2019/1971
Label : Mr Bongo/Philips
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Folk, World, Fusion

Recognized as a “living national treasure” by the Japanese government in 2002, Hozan Yamamoto was the best known shakuhachi player outside Japan. "Beautiful Bamboo Flute" is the fourth collaboration between Hozan Yamamoto and saxophonist Nobuo Hara within his famous big band, after two albums as Sharps & Flats ("Sharps & Flats In Newport" in 1967, "New Jazz In Japan" in 1968), and one under his own name ("New Dimension Of Bamboo Flute" in 1968). The album is result of a clever mix between japanese folk music (called "Min'yō") and Jazz including Jazz Rock, Soul Jazz & Big Band styles, featuring arranger Masahiko Sato, guitarist Takao Naoi from Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos. Impossible to find original album nowadays, it was finally reissued by Mr Bongo Records.

MUSICIANS : Hozan Yamamoto - bamboo flute - Nobuo Hara - tenor saxophone - Hajime Maekawa, Koji Suzuki - alto saxophone - Nobuyuki Morikawa - baritone saxophone - Masahiro Nakajima, Tadao Taniyama - trombone - Hiroshi Saba, Shuzo Morikawa - trumpet - Sadayasu Fujii - piano - Hiroshi Takeuchi - bass - Takao Naoi - guitar - Yoshio Nakamura - drums

Yuji Ohno - The Boss And His Piano Part II ~ Selected Works 1975 - 1983

Volume 2 of the compilation series dedicated to the japanese jazz pianist Yuji Ohno including studio and live recordings as sideman, producer & arranger. Yuji Ohno was in charge of numerous background music composed for films, among others "Inugamike No Ichizoku" (The Inugami Family, 1976), "Nigen No Shomei" (Proof Of The Man, 1977) and animation TV series such as "Lupin The 3rd" (since 1977), "Captain Future" (1979). During the seventies, he was a popular arranger for various japanese jazz&pop songstress, including Martha Miyake, Mieko Kaji, Eiko Shuri, Kimiko Kasai, Mieko Hirota or Hatsumi Shibata. From 1975, Yuji turns to the Jazz Funk style and formed his famous "You & The Explosion Band" featuring Jake H. Conception, Takeru Muraoka & Akira Okazawa for the "Lupin III" soundtrack. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop featuring Yuji Ohno, Chu Kosaka & Ultra, Hatsumi Shibata & Hang Over, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Masa Matsuda, You & The Explosion Band, Electro Keyboard Orchestra.

Wilson Simonal - Alegria! Alegria! Vol. 4

Year : 1969
Label : Odeon
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : MPB, Bossa Nova, Samba Soul

Last act in the popular "Alegria! Alegria!" album series recorded between 1967-1969, by one of the finest Brazilian singer, including his smash hit "Pais Tropical" composed by his friend Jorge Ben. Since "Vou Deixar Cair" in 1966, Wilson Simonal is supported by the top latin jazz trio "Som Três", his regular backing band until 1969, lead by Cesar Camargo Mariano (p) featuring Sabá (b, vo) & Toninho Pinheiro (ds, vo). "Alegria! Alegria! Vol. 4" is a subtle blend of soulful music with jazz, samba, bossa and latin boogaloo sounds including beautiful strings arrangements directed by maestro Antonio Adolfo. Titles include gorgeous songs among the best ever recorded by Wilson Simonal, "Maquilagem", "Porque Hoje É Domingo", "Brasileira", "Canção Da Criança", "Eu Fui No Tororó", "Que Maravilha" (Jorge Ben), "Adios, Muchachos-Adios".

Bop or Not Session #2 For Radio RAPTZ ~ Soul On !

Bop or Not Session #2 for Parisian webradio RADiO RAPTZ including Jazzy Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk, & Latin music from Japan to America by Europe. It features James Brown, Donald Byrd, Tim Maia, Gene Harris, Candido, Talib Kweli, Jurassic 5, Erasmo Carlos and more...

TRACKLiST : James Brown - My Thang - Donald Byrd - Have You Heard the News ? - Hiromasa Suzuki - Between O&M - J.M. Tim & Foty - Funky Bafoussam - Tim Maia - Rhodesia - Gene Harris - Koko And Lee Roe - Theory Hazit Feat. Braille - IOU - Funky DL Feat. DJ Stixx & Dukus Alemay - Rhymin' 76 (Remix) - Zerosen - Scramble - Osamu Furuya & The Freshmen - Chinese Kung Fu - Candido - Soulwanco - Talib Kweli - Africa Dream - Chlorine Free Feat. Soweto Kinch - Natural Blend - Pat D Feat. Melodiq & Lady Paradox - In Control - Jurassic 5 - If You Only Knew - Mo' Horizons - Brandnew Shoes - Erasmo Carlos - Coqueiro Verde - Madlib - Alfred Lion Interlude

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Bossa for Sofa (Bossa Nova, Jazz Samba And Screen Favorites)

Lean back in your sofa and listen these 23 musical pieces of Bossa Nova featuring european, japanese & american jazz musicians (Benny Golson, Cortex, Norio Maeda, Ron Carter, Helen Merrill among others), and compositions for various TV shows, series, advertising or others soundtracks. Titles include background music extracted from famous European music library labels such as KPM (England), Montparnasse 2000 (France) or Selected Sound (Germany). Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Bop or Not Session #1 for Radio RAPTZ ~ Opening Show

Opening show for Parisian webradio RADiO RAPTZ including Jazzy Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk, Brazilian Funk & Samba from Japan to America by Europe. It features ShinSight Trio, Idris Muhammad, Shigeru Suzuki, DJ Mitsu The Beats, Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo, Substantial, Di Melo, Kool & The Gang, Nujabes, Soil & "Pimp" Sessions and more...

TRACKLiST : ShinSight Trio - I Love Good Music - Banda Uniao Black - A Familia Black - Idris Muhammad - House Of The Rising Sun - Shigeru Suzuki - Suna No On'na - Ronald Mesquita - Balança Pema - Edson Frederico - Tava Mais Não Tava - Cravo & Canela - Capoeira Poeira - Shin-Ski Feat. Louis Logic - Let You Slide - DJ Mitsu The Beats Feat. Audessey The Sound Sci - Stolen Moments - Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo - Tanchame - Substantial - Be People - Di Melo - A Vida Em Seus Métodos Diz Calma - Banda Black Rio - Mr. Funky Samba - Kool & The Gang - Jungle Jazz - Jazz Liberatorz Feat. Declaime - Music Makes The World Go Round (20Syl Remix) - Nujabes Feat. Apani B - Thank You - Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - Funky Goldman

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Piero Piccioni - Musica-Amore

Year : 2016/1972
Label : Cinedelic Records/General Music
Genre : Stage & Screen, Jazz, Soul
Style : Soul Jazz, Easy Listening

Maestro Piero Piccioni was an italian pianist, conductor & composer, in charge of over 300 movie soundtracks, influenced by iconic film directors among Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder or John Ford. He worked for the masters of italian cinema during the golden years of Cinecittà including Michelangelo Antonioni, Francesco Rosi, Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Rossellini, Dino Risi. Piccioni’s first score for a feature film was Gianni Franciolini’s "Il Mondo Le Condanna" in 1952, but his most famous work were for the movies “Swept Away” (1975), “Salvatore Giuliano” by Francesco Rosi (1963) and "Lo Staniero" by Visconti (1967). He worked also on italian variation of "Le Mépris" soundtrack (original music by Georges Delerue) and OSS 117. "Musica-Amore" brings together several movie themes and others jazz soundscapes composed for various italian films recorded between late sixties and early seventies, including two songs "Right Or Wrong" & "Once And Again" featuring his regular vocalist Lyn McDonald aka Shawn Robinson.

Tadaaki Misago & His Tokyo Cuban Boys - This Is Cuban Rock Sounds

Year : 1974
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin
Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz, Jazz Rock

The kings of japanese mambo honored by the Cuba state, explore the world of rock 'n' roll, including psychedelia, mixing it with Latin Jazz. Formed and conducted by Tadaaki Misago, The Tokyo Cuban Boys is the oldest japanese jazz big band actives since 1949, which took advantage of the mambo's whirlwind that swept Japan in the 50s, to become a major big band in Latin Music in which emerged the famous japanese latin percussionnist, Yoshinori Nohmi. Indeed, Tadaaki Misago & His Tokyo Cuban Boys have contributed to the expansion of  latin music in Japan, recording over 200 albums between 1949 and 1980, the year of their dissolution. They have associated acts alongside Sharps & Flats, collaborated with various artists from Jazz such as Norio Maeda, Jiro Inagaki & Minoru Muraoka, to japanese folk and pop music as backing band for Michiya Mihashi, the "King of Enka" or actress Eri Chiemi. Titles include the great standards of Latin Music including Boléro (Bésame Mucho, Historia De Un Amor, Perfidia), Mambo (Siboney, Quién Será) or Bossa Nova styles (La Cancion De Orfe). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Koizumi.

Edson Frederico - Edson Frederico E A Transa

Year : 1975
Label : RCA, CAMDEN
Genre : Jazz, Latin
Style : Jazz Funk, Samba

Killer samba/jazz funk gem "Edson Frederico E A Transa" including "Bobeira" selected by DJ Cliffy for the "Black Rio Compilation Vol. 2", released in 2009. Edson Frederico was a pianist and arranger who started as musical director of various brazilian TV programs and soundtracks. During his prolific career, he was sideman as pianist for the bossa nova legends Toquinho, Tom Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes or Elis Regina. In the 70s, he was an arranger very popular among MPB artists, collaborating with the Antônio Carlos and Jocáfi duo, Djavan, Jorge Ben, Sonia Santos, that earned him, thereafter, to be engaged by the biggest stars such as Roberto Carlos, Spanky Wilson or Sarah Vaughan ("Exclusivamente Brasil", 1980). Edson (keys) is supported by experienced musicians featuring percussionists Helcio Milito, Chico Batera & Luna Messina, Bebeto Castilho (b), singer Orlandivo (vo, perc), Raymundo Bittencourt (vo) from Aquarius and Wilson Das Neves (ds), in groups The Ipanemas and Os Gatos, formed by Eumir Deodato. Titles include pure samba songs like "Sambané" and the Jazz Funk tracks "Tava Mais Não Tava" and "Babuíno".

Ronald Mesquita E A Central Do Brasil - Brésil 72

Year : 2019/1972
Label : Mr Bongo/Barclay
Genre : Jazz, Latin
Style : Jazz Samba, Bossa Nova

Brazilian gem recorded in France at studio Barclay in 1972, including killer song "Balanca Pema" sampled by Madlib for "Flight To Brazil" in 2010. Originally released as "Brésil 72", this album was also known as "Bossa Explosiva" and now reissued by Mr Bongo simply titled "Ronald Mesquita". Ronald Mesquita was best-known as the second drummer in Luis Carlos Vinhas's trio Bossa Três ("Os Reis Do Rítmo", "Em Forma", 1966), member of Bossa Rio produced by Sergio Mendes, and also sideman for Bola Sete, Tenório Jr. or Osmar Milito. "Brésil 72" echoes to famous Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 who contributed to popularize Bossa Nova in US or "Aquarius", another brazilian group perfectly cut for the jazz dancefloors. Ronald Mesquita & his Central Do Brazil take over songs from the masters of Bossa Nova featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim (Águas De Marco), Toquinho & Vinicius De Moraes (Tarde Em Itapôa), Edu Lobo (Zanzibar) or from the brazilian new wave of Samba among Gilberto Gil (Fechado Prá Balanço) or Jorge Ben (Balança Pema). The group is formed by Ronald Mesquita (ds, perc) featuring Marily Tavares (vo), Ricardo Do Canto (b), Rolando Faria (per, eg, vo), Gilson Peranzzetta (keys, perc, eg), Ricardo Pontes (fl, perc, as), supported by french sound engineers duo, Joachim Roy & Charles Rochko (active in music library and french pop music, working for Janko Nilovic, Ben & The Platano Group or Baden Powell).

African Music Machine ~ DiSCO Hi-LiFE

Get into the west african Funk scene of late seventies from the cameroonian and nigerian highlife's post era. This "new wave" of Funk adds an african touch to the US Disco, Boogie & Jazz-Funk styles, featuring multi-instrumentalists, arrangers and influential producers such as Pasteur Lappé, Emma Baloka, J.M. Tim & Foty, Orlando Julius, Jo Bisso, Eko Roosevelt, Livy Ekemezie, Odion Iruoje and many others. All tracks recorded between 1977-1983. Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Emma Baloka - Freedom

Year : 2019/1982
Label : Kétu Records/Odec
Genre : Disco, Funk/Soul
Style : Afro Disco, Afro Funk, Boogie

Born in Cameroon, Emma Baloka is a guitarist/singer who started at 21 in the famous nigerian funk band "The Mighty Flames". Subsequently, he was enrolled as studio musician in various groups from Nigeria and Cameroon, in particular during the nigerian highlife era between late seventies and early eighties. Influenced by US music and Makossa from West Africa, Emma Baloka recorded this unique record, finally reissued by french label Kétu Records, an album imbued by Funk, Boogie & Disco accents to the african rhtyhms. Titles include deep grooves supported by powerful slapping bass lines, wah wah effects on guitar and keyboard, serving a music ideally cut for clubs as evidenced the songs "Come To My Sweetie", "Funky Down" & the eponymous track "Freedom". "Let's Love Each Other" was included in compilation "Brand New Wayo" released in 2011 by Comb & Razor Sound label. All tracks arranged and composed by Emma Baloka.

Kosuke Ichihara & 3 L - Now Sound '75

Year : 2017/1975
Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Victor
Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Fusion, Folk

Last testimony of Love Live Life (also known as 3L), japanese psychedelic jazz rock band born in full expansion of the japanese new rock era initiated by the Flower Travellin' Band (himself influenced by the Woodstock generation). Love Live Life's frontman Kosuke Ichihara is a japanese saxophonist, composer and arranger who evolved in famous Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd big band, in groups Tokyo Ensemble Academy, Takayuki Inoue Band, Masami Kawahara & The Exotic Sounds, was sideman for japanese jazz songstress Maki Asakawa, Mari Nakamoto and played alongside pianist Masahiko Satoh or drummer Jimmy Takeuchi. Among  japanese works mixing Jazz, Rock with popular folk songs from different parts of Japan (Okinawa to Hokkaido), "Now Sound '75" is one of the finest production of the genre, including deep grooves, catchy bass line, synthesizer sounds floating, soundscapes with cinematographic atmosphere and oriental melodies, all played in a psychedelic mood. 

LOVE LIVE LIFE : Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone, flute - Toshiaki Yokota - flute, saxophone - HiroYanagida - piano, organ - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Kimio Mizutani, Takao Naoi - guitar - Chito Kawachi - drums - Naomi Kawahara - percussion

Chlorine Free - Le Fish

Year : 2016
Label : Dunose Production
Genre : Jazz, Broken Beat
Style : Jazz Funk, Jazzy Hip-Hop 

Chlorine Free is a french jazz funk collective based in Paris who explores electronic worlds and programming in Jazz. The music of Chlorine Free can be defined as the meeting between their various influences from A Tribe Called Quest passing by The Headhunters, mixing broken beat, experimental music, funk/soul, conscious hip-hop & electronic avant-garde. From 2011 to 2017, the band collaborated with various talented artists such as MCs Rashaan Ahmad, Mike Ladd from The Infesticons & Racecar or british saxophonist Soweto Kinch. "Le Fish" is their second album after "Star Fresh" released in 2011 and before "Free Speech" in 2017, including instrumental titles and featurings with Soweto Kinch (Natural Blend), Nya (Thankful) & Yan Cléry (One Shot).

Célia - Célia

Year : 2018/1972
Label : Mr Bongo/Continental
Genre : Latin, Funk/Soul
Style : MPB, Soul, Bossa Nova

Fabulous self-titled album from the brazilian princess Célia Regina Cruz, tropicalism masterpiece with pop arrangements, funk/soul accents & psychedelia, including her best known song, own version of "Na Boca Do Sol" composed by Arthur Verocai. Conducted & arranged by maestro Arthur Verocai, one legendary arranger of the Tropicalia movement, "Célia '72" includes also an all-star composers collective featuring Marcos Valle, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes, Erasmo Carlos & Roberto Carlos. Finally reissued by Mr Bongo in 2018, "Célia '72" is the second of four self-titled albums serie released for the Continental label between 1971 and 1977, the first two with Verocai.

Jo Bisso - Dance To It

Year : 2015/1976

Label : Africa Seven/Disques Espérance

Genre : Soul, Afrobeat

Style : Funk/Soul, Disco

Debut album of Jo Bisso, a cameroonian singer, producer & arranger influenced by US Soul & Funk music from Otis Reading to James Brown, singing as well his native tongue as french and english. From 1976 to 1979, Jo Bisso released four records to the disco accents and produced albums of his fellow countrymen Sookie and the disco duo, "Venise", led by Linda Henderson & Sharon Criswell. Settled in Paris from 1971, he signed on Decca France his first single "Flying To The Land Of Soul" (1974) as J.B. Afro Soul, produced by Pierre Jaubert, the man behind "The Lafayette Afro Rock Band" name (ex-Ice), before to sign on Disques Espérance, a world & african music label based in Paris. The album opens up with the title track "Dance To It", a catchy disco funk in two parts, the rest of the album is a blend of Jazz (Don't Fight The Feeling), Soul music (Let's Keep It Together), Funk (Give It Up) with afro/disco beats, and concludes with the beautiful ballad "Odwa". All songs composed and arranged by Jo Bisso except "Ramaya" written by A. Simone/St. Regal and "Odwa" by Ossibissa.