Yuji Ohno - Space Kid

Year : 1978
Label : CBS
Serie : Master Sound 76
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Disco, Smooth Jazz

"Space Kid" is a concept album which prefigures the future sound of You & The Explosion Band, formed for the original soundtrack of "Lupin The 3rd". Indeed, some sounds seem to us familiar, various soundscapes have been used in the serie and in particular the moog synthesizer effects heard in the "Cagliostro No Shiro" movie (1979). The core of You & Explosion Band is based on the rhythm section featuring Akira Okazawa, Tsunehide Matsuki, Yasushi Ichihara, Pepe Anai & Larry Sunaga, supported by horn section feat. Jake H. Conception & the Suzuki Group (strings). Tiltes include the disco funk song "Space Kid", a variation on the "Mayflower" recording taken from "Electro Keyboard Orchestra", where accoustic piano replaces moog synthesizer, two featurings with brazilian songtress Sonia Rosa (Never More, Dancing Raccoon) and the latin funk "Solar Samba". All tracks composed, arranged & recorded by Yuji Ohno.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - keyboards - Kazushi Sugihara - synthesizer programmer - Akira Okazawa & Kenji Takamizu - bass - Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar -Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Pepe Anai, Larry Sunaga & Fujio Saitoh - percussion - Jake H. Conception - saxophone - Sonia Rosa - vocal

Mieko Hirota - My Funny Valentine

Year : 1976
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Best Vocal Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

"My Funny Valentine" is a cover album of western jazz & soul music by the most famous japanese songtress outside Japan, Mieko Hirota. "The Queen of Pop" in Japan, also nicknamed "MICO", started her professional career at 14, making her debut with cover song "Don't Treat Me Like A Child" released in 1961, but it's with the hit single "Vacation" that she really gained recognition in Japan from 1962. In July 1965, she was the first Japanese singer to perform at the american Newport Jazz Festival, and at the end of the sixties, she was also among the first japanese songstress to turn to the Soul and R&B music. During the seventies, she recorded several jazz funk albums with the Colgen Band led by arranger & pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, including some of the Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos group featuring Takeru Muraoka, Akira Okazawa or Takao Naoi. In the late seventies, she settled in New York city and recorded "Mieko Hirota in New York" featuring the Billy Taylor Trio and "Step Across" featuring Terumasa Hino, Joe Farrell, Stanley Cowell, Billy Cobham & Richard Davis. Tiles include the Soul classics of Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" & Aretha Franklin "Day Dreaming", the killer funk "Easy Evil", the Jazz standards "My Funny Valentine" & "There Will Never Be Another You" played in a samba fusion variation.

MUSICIANS : Mieko Hirota - vocal - Hiromasa Suzuki - synthesizer, piano - Takeru Muraoka - saxophones, flute - Takao Naoi & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Akira Okazawa & Isao Eto - bass - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Akira Ishikawa - drums, percussion

Hiromasa Suzuki - High-Flying

Year : 2016/1976

Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Nippon Columbia

Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk

The crossover jazz masterpiece "High Flying" ws reissued for the HMV Japan stores by  the Yusuke Ogawa's Deep Jazz Reality. Recorded by master Hiromasa "Colgen" Suzuki (one leader of the post-jazz rock era during the seventies in Japan), "High Flying" was produced by Jiro Inagaki, the man who was the footbridge between Jazz Rock and Jazz Funk periods, with his group the Soul Media. Suzuki was an actives guest member of the Jiro Inagaki's band, collaborating on several records, in charge of arrangements and compositions on the "Funky Stuff" album recorded in 1974. "High-Flying" brings together some best players of the japanese Fusion scene as keyboardist Jun Fukamachi, guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto or drummer Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami. Titles include the disco-funk tracks "Scramble", "Straight Flash", "Between O&M" (reminiscence of the Herbie Hancock style including amazing bass line) and "Out Of Focus" featuring scat songtress Kayoko Ishu from Singers Three, selected by Kyoto Jazz Massive for their "Shibuya Jazz Classics - Kyoto Jazz Massive Collection" compilation. All tracks composed and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

MUSICIANS : Hiromasa Suzuki & Jun Fukamachi - keyboards, synthesizer, piano - Jiro Inagaki - saxophones, flute - Akira Okazawa & Kenji Takamizu - electric bass - Fujimaru Yoshino, Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Masayoshi Takanaka - electric guitar - Shuichi Murakami - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussion - Kayoko Ishu - vocal

Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - In The Groove

 

Year : 1973
Label : Nippon Columbia

Serie : Master Sonic

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk

Since "Rough & Elegance" album released in 1972, Jiro Inagaki left the Jazz Rock to focus on Funk/Soul music featuring bassist Akira Okazawa, guitarist Tsunehide Matsuki & Norio Maeda in charge of arrangements & composition. As the "Funky Stuff" album released the next year, "In The Groove" is a careful blend of Jazz, Funk, Soul music and latin beats, all arranged in the same sound engineering approach of the Creed Taylor's CTI recordings. "In The Groove" was recorded such as an album that The Crusaders could have produce, moreover, two of their songs are included : "That's How I Feel" by Wilton Felder and "Put It Where You Want It" by Joe Sample. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - alto & tenor saxophone - Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Takeshi Kamachi - electric piano - Akira Okazawa - bass - Takashi Imai - trombone - Hajime Ishimatsu - drums, percussion

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Yuji Ohno - Original Soundtrack From Lupin III

Year : 1978
Label : Satril/Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

First of five serie records of the Lupin The 3rd Original Soundtrack released between 1978 to 1981, performed by Yuji Ohno who formed, for the nonce, his new Jazz Funk group called "You & The Explosion Band" supported by a strings ensemble conducted by Minoru Suzuki (The Suzuki Group), and guests singers Sandi A. Hohn & Tommy Snyder from japanese pop band GODIEGO. Titles include the popular opening and ending themes from the first season, "I Miss You Babe, (Yes I Do)" feat. Sandi A. Hohn, "Dangerous Zone" (also extracted from original soundtrack of Lupin VS Mamo 1978 movie), "Lovin' You (Lucky)" feat. Tommy Snyder. Some tracks are introduced by dialogue inserts extracted from the episodes of Lupin III serie, starring the main characters. All tracks composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno. 

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - keyboards - Minoru Kuribayashi - Hammond organ - Takeru Muraoka & Jake H. Conception - saxophone - Shigeharu Mukai - trombone - Akira Okazawa - bass - Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussions

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Jun Fukamachi - Spiral Steps

Year : 1976
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Space Age
   

"Spiral Steps" is a Space-Age Funk & Future Jazz album featuring the Breckers Brothers and the KORG synthesizer in showcase. Recorded for the first time outside Japan, it's divided in two recordings sessions, Tokyo & New York, including japanesese musicians among his regular sidemen Ray Ohara & Ponta Murakami, Akira Okazawa, Kazumi Watanabe, Anthony Jackson, Barry Rogers, Lou Marini from Blood, Sweat And Tears plus Jake H Conception as guest. Titles include the disco-boogie "In The Holiday Groove" feat. Jake H. Conception & "Taft 1082", the insane heavy funk "Spiral Steps" and the highlight suite for synthesizer "Scoto Phonobine Type I to III". All tracks composed & arranged by Jun Fukamachi.

MUSICIANS : Jun Fukamachi - keyboards - Shuici Ponta Murakami - drums - Akira Okazawa, Ray Ohara & Anthony Jackson - bass - Masayoshi Takanaka, Kazumi Watanabe - guitar - Randy Brecker - trumpet - Barry Rogers - trombone - Jake H.Conception, Michael Brecker & Lou Marini - tenor saxophone 

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Kimiko Kasai - Tokyo Special

Year : 1977
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

"Tokyo Special" is the eighth album and second recorded by Kimiko Kasai in japanese tongue since "Umbrella" in 1972. Kimiko back to the japanese studios after a three albums serie recorded in US, supported by "The Colgen Band" lead by pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki featuring guest soloists :tumpeter Terumasa Hino, bassist Isao Suzuki & saxophonist Takeru Muraoka. Terumasa Hino takes part on "Very Special Moment" & "Tokyo Special (Manhattan Special)", Isao Suzuki plays cello and composes "Yarikake No Jinsei", while Hiromasa Suzuki takes over the arrangements. The Colgen Band is supported by strings ensemble, The Tadaaki Ono group.

THE COLGEN BAND : Kimiko Kasai - vocal - Hiromasa Suzuki - keyboards - Akira Okazawa - bass - Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Masafumi Yamaguchi - saxophones - Pepe Anai - percussion - Shin Kazuhara - trumpet - Koji Hatori - trumpet & flugel horn - Eiji Arai - trombone

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Soul Media - Funky Stuff

Year : 1974

Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

From 1972, with the "Rough & Elegance" album saxophonist Jiro Inagaki takes turn to the Soul music. Since "In The Groove" released the following year, Jiro Inagaki renewed his "Soul Media" band recruiting new members featuring the master of Japanese Jazz Funk, keyboardist/arranger Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki, bassist Akira Okazawa, trombonist Takashi Imai, guitarist Hiroshi Yasukawa and drummer Hazime Ishimatsu. "Funky Stuff" is a musical Funk joint project with Suzuki, in charge of all arrangements and six of the eight compositions what does the album contain. Close to the sound of a Groover Whashington Jr. or The Crusaders productions (One For Jiro, Four Up), it includes covers from Kool & The Gang (Funky Stuff), Wayne Henderson ("Scratch", composed for The Crusaders), the latin vibe "Gentle Wave" and "Funky Motion" with the heavy funk slapping-bass solo of Okazawa who has nothing to envy to Bootsy Collins.

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Sonia Rosa With Yuji Ohno - Spiced With Brazil

Year : 1974

Label : CBS

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz

Style : Pop, Bossa Nova

"Spiced With Brazil" is a joint project between a Brazilian native living in Japan and japanese jazz legend, pianist Yuji Ohno featuring Akira Okazawa (eb), Takao Naoi (g), Tsunehide Matsuki (eg), Kazuyoshi Okayama (ds), Tsuyoshi Yamamoto (ep), Larry Sunaga & Pepe Anai (per). In order to get to closer to the sound of the iconic Bossa Nova Verve's productions to the sophisticated sweetness, Yuji enrolled strings ensemble the "Ohno Group". Sonia Rosa started in 1967, recording her debut album with Chiquinho De Moraes, before to leave Brazil for Japan at the age of 20. In 1970, she released covers album of Bossa Nova "Sensitive Sound Of Sonia Rosa" with the Sadao Watanabe Quintet, her first record in Japan. Shortly after, she recorded "Spice With Brazil", her best-known album marking the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship with japanese jazz pianist Yuji Ohno, including "Space Kid" in 1978, "Samba Amour" in 1979 or "Lupin The Third [JAZZ] : Bossa & Fusion" in 2002. Titles include the classics of Bossa Nova from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfa to Chico Buarque by Edu Lobo ("Casa Forte" feat. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano), jazz standards of Jimmy Van Heusen ("Here's That Rainy Day"), Paul Francis Webster ("Secret Love"), pop covers of James Taylor ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight") and Linda Creed ("You Make Me Feel Brand New" feat. backing vocal band Time Five). All tracks arranged and conducted by Yuji Ohno except "Chove Là Fora" by Sonia Rosa.

Yuji Ohno - Inugamike No Ichizoku (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1976
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style :  Jazz Rock, Fusion

Original Soundtrack of the japanese horror/mystery story "Inugamike No Ichizoku" (Inugami Family), outcome from a long tradition of supernatural suspense films directed by Kon Ichikawa, iconic director of movie series based on the detective "Kindaichi" in the seventies. The soundtrack includes various genres from Jazz to Pychedelic Rock, mixed with eastern sounds produced by the biwa (japanese folk guitar), songs inspired by Pink Floyd ("Grudge", "Hatred's Theme"), some tracks with free expressions and Jazz Funk (The Blood Of The Passion, Mask). All tracks are supported by strings ensemble "Minoru Suzuki Group", conducted by Hiroshi Yoshizawa, composed, arranged & performed by Yuji Ohno featuring biwa player Masako Hirayama, Minoru Kuribayashi, Shigeto Ohara from Electro Keyboard Orchestra, Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Takao Naoi from The Count Buffalos.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno, Shigeto Ohara - piano - Minoru Kuribayashi - organ - Tyuei Yoshikawa - accoustic guitar - Akira Okazawa, Kenji Takamizu - bass - Masako Hirayama - biwa - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Keiji Azami - dulcimer - Masami Nakagawa, Takeshi Shinohara & Yukio Nishizawa - flute - Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takao Naoi & Ryogo Kanari - guitar - Tadaomi 'Pepe' Anai - percussion - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

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Yuji Ohno & His Project - Proof Of The Man (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1977
Label : Atlantic
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

"Proof Of The Man" ("Nigen No Shomei") is a crime drama film directed by Junya Sato and starring Yusaku Matsuda & Joe Yamanaka from the japanese psychedelic rock group "Flower Travellin' Band". Yusaku Matsuda (1949-1989) was a famous japanese actor who played the Sato role in the Ridley Scott's Black Rain Movie (1989) and inspired Spike Spiegel, character from Cowboy Bebop serie (1998). Behind the "Yuji Ohno & His Project" featuring saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto, keyboardist Kentaro Haneda & trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki, hides future Ohno's group "You & The Explosion Band" in charge of the "Lupin The 3rd Original Soundtrack". Titles include the heavy funk ("Scorch To Kirizumi"), disco song ("Get Up All The People"), opening and ending themes sung by Joe Yamanaka ("Nigen No Shomei Theme"). Composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - keyboards - Kentaro Haneda & Minoru Kuribayashi - organ - Akira Okazawa - bass - Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Takeru Muraoka & Jake H. Concepcion - saxophone - Eiji Arai & Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Koji Hatori & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Larry Sunaga & Pepe Anai - percussion - Minoru Suzuki Group - strings

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Electro Keyboard Orchestra - Electro Keyboard Orchestra

Year : 1975
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Electronic
Style : Space Age, Fusion, Jazz Funk

"Electro Keyboard Orchestra" is a concept album of  "Space Age" Jazz based on the KORG synthesizer 700S & 800DV keyboards, highlighting electronic overtones (as evindenced "The African Dawn" composed by Masahiko Sato), featuring eight renowned japanese, supported by a rhythm section including guitarist Ken Yajima, bassist Akira Okazawa and drummer Shuichi 'Ponta' Murakami. The eight keyboardists consist of Yuji Ohno from the original Terumasa Hino Quartet (best known for the "Captain Future" & "Lupin The 3rd" soundtracks), the arranger Hiromasa Suzuki (member of Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalo Rock Band), Kentaro Haneda ("Space Adventure Cobra" OST), Masahiko Sato (in groups The Soundbreakers, Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd), Hideo Ichikawa (The Beat Generation, George Kawaguchi's The Big 4, Kosuke Mine Quintet and George Otsuka Trio), but also Masao Yagi, Shigeto O'Hara and Sadayasu Fujii. The whole album reminds the Herbie Hancock's jazz funk style (in particular "The Heated Point" composed by Hiromasa Suzuki) including variations on "Ritual Fire Dance" (composition of Manuel De Falla, arranged by Masao Yagi), "The Iron Side" of Quincy Jones (arr. Hiromasa Suzuki), "Mother of Future" composed by Carlos Garnett (arr. Masahiko Sato). Titles include also others compositions by Yuji Ohno (The Soaring Seagull, Mayflower) and Masao Yagi (Farewell, Onoda).

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