Ivan Jullien Big Band ‎- Blow!

 

Year : 1977

Label : Blue Star

Serie : House Of Jazz

Genre : Jazz

Style : Big Band, Contemporary Jazz

"Blow!" is a compilation bringing together some of the best Ivan Jullien's recordings released on the previous albums "Paris Point Zéro" (1966) & "Secret Service" (1972). A nice little set evolving within orchestra conducted by the famous jazz trumpeter featuring iconic french jazz musicians among Michel Portal on alto and tenor saxophones, Eddie Louiss on organ, Bernard Lubat on percussion and André Ceccarelli on drums. Titles include his own compositions with "Dainaya", "Soara", "Double Indeed" extracted from the album "Paris Point Zéro", "Running With Ruthi", "Meet Mickey", "Indicatif" from "Secret Service", and the jazz covers "And Now Hear Our Meanin" by Jimmy Woode and "Time Square Garden" by Charlie Mingus.

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

Peter Herbolzheimer - Soul Puppets (Unreleased Jazz Funk Library)

Year : 2011
Label : Sonorama
Genre : Jazz
Style : Latin Jazz, Jazz Funk

This compilation brings together various straight-ahead-Jazz tracks incorporating funk, soul & latin music elements. Recorded by the Orchester Peter Herbolzheimer between 1970-1975, most of the tracks were released on German music library labels including Altaxon. Peter Herbolzheimer was a german band leader, trombonist and arranger, member of jazz rock group "Free Orbit" and best known as the conductor of the trans-european Big Band, the Rhythm Combination & Brass. Founded in 1969, mostly actives during the seventies, Rhythm Combination & Brass has incorporated some prestigious musicians such as Art Farmer, dansih trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg or belgian guitarist Philip Catherine. The group has regulary performed in various german telivision shows and radio programs, has supported visiting american musicians in jazz gala such as Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Sammy Davis Jr., Dizzy Gillespie or european jazz like Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. In the late seventies the band toured with the biggest jazz stars such as Esther Phillips, Stan Getz, Nat Adderley, Toots Thielemans or Grady Tate.

Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd - New Herd

Year : 1974

Label : TBM

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Big Band, Contemporary Jazz

Recorded straight away after their concert at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1974, "New Herd" is the ommemorative reproduction of this performance. Played as the same way as the Buddy Rich or Woody Sherman big bands,it includes great jazz covers from Miles Davis (Donna Lee), Chic Corea (La Fiesta) and some japanese musical folk expressions (Furisode, Kappa Shijo). The Toshiyuki Miyama's Big Band's name was probably given in tribute to the legendary "Thundering Herds", formed in the late forties by Woody Sherman. "New Herd" album is a japanese jazz masterpiece which cleverly combining Big Band style with Jazz Funk, in particular on the amazing killer groove song "Sniper's Snooze", sampled by Cut Chemist for "React"'s interlude on "Power Numbers", the third album of Jurassic 5.

THE NEW HERD : Toshiyuki Miyama - conductor - Kiyoshi Takano - piano, electric piano  Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar, arrangements - Masaaki Ito - bass - Isao Yomoda - drums - Koji Suzuki, Atsuo Shirai, Mamoru Mori & Seiji Inoue - reeds - Masamichi Uetaka, Takahide Uchida, Takashi Hayakawa & Teruhiko Kataoka - trombone - Fumio Shirayama, Kazumi Takeda, Shigeru Kamimori & Yoshikazu Kishi - trumpet

New Herd - Perspective

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Modern Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style :  Big Band, Modal, Jazz-Rock, Avant-garde

Also presented as Masahiko Sato's work in co-leading alongside saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama, "Perspective" is an essential album to the forefront of Japanese music, a masterpiece representative of the best japanese jazz productions recorded during the late sixties. The title-track is an original avant-garde composition including free improvisations, written and arranged by Masahiko Sato. "Lazy Lazy" is composed & arranged by pianist Norio Maeda on the modal form with Jazz Rock. Yamaki Kozaburo has composed, meanwhile, the "Furisode Girl", based on far east folklore played also in modal. Titles include also iconic Charlie Mingus' piece "Pithecanthropus Erectus", cover song of The Beatles, "Tomorrows Never Knows" played in the jazz rock style and "Africa" by John Coltrane.

MUSICIANS : Toshiyuki Miyama - leading, alto & soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Takami - alto saxophone - Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone - Shunzo Sunahara - baritone saxophone - Kōji Hatori - trumpet - Seiichi Tokura - trombone - Masahiko Sato & Norio Maeda - piano - Kōzaburō Yamaki - guitar - Masao Kunisada - bass - Sadaichi Tabata - drums

LISTEN SAMPLE

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.

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.

Johann Orth - Moody Brass

Year : 1973

Label : Mondiophone

Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen

Style : Contempory Jazz, Big Band

"Moody Brass" is a rare music library record from french label Mondiophone including Big Band  & contempory jazz peformed by a large horn section, called "The Big Band Sound Of Johann Orth". "Moody Brass" offers a selection of orchestral jazz whose the main interest is the funky-pop tune "Medium Pop Number" (regularly used and sampled by various DJs) which stand out by a soul jazz style including groovy organ solo, wah wah guitar and funky horns. All tracks arranged, composed & conducted by Johann Orth aka conductor Joseph Mengozzi.

Hiroshi Suzuki & His Happy Cats - Up Up And Away

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Soul Jazz

Hiroshi Suzuki, the most famous japanese trombonist, member of legendary quintet "Freedom Unity", in first work as a leader featuring Takeshi Inomata, Tetsuo Fushimi & Shigeo Suzuki. As many young japanese jazz musicians, Hiroshi Suzuki started in Sharps & Flats (conducted by saxophonist Nobuo Hara) and evolved in others big bands like The Tokyo Cuban Boys. Later, he becomes a session trombonist in demand playing as a sideman for trumpeter Terumasa Hino, guitarist Shungo Sawada or pianist Yuji Ohno. From 1968, he stands out on the duet album "Variation" with the Masahiko Togashi Quintet and thereafter joins the super jazz group, The Freedom Unity featuring Akira Ishikawa, Hiromasa Suzuki, Kunimitsu Inaba & Takeru Muraoka. Titles include pop & jazz covers from The Bealtes (The Fool On The Hill, Eleanor Rigby), Burt Bacharach (The Look Of Love), Fifth Dimension (Up Up And Away), Oliver Nelson (125th St. & 7th Avenue). "125th St. & 7th Avenue" was selected by Yasuharu Konishi from Pizzicato Five for his compilation "Midgnight Tokyo").

MUSICIANS : Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Ichiro Mimori - tenor saxophone - Shiro Ohno - baritone saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tsuneo Shibata - bass - Shigeaki Ikeno - organ - Takeshi inomata - drums 

LISTEN SAMPLE

Big Jullien And His All Star - Riviera Sound No.1

Year : 1970  

Label : Riviera

Genre : Jazz

Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul, Big Band

"Riviera Sound No.1" is a soul jazz album recorded at the Studios Barclay, Paris, including incredible funk/soul breaks & brass sounds with Michel Colombier compositions ("The Big Team/Opening" 45 RPM or "I Remember Otis"), Ivan Jullien (An Oscar For Eddy) and Charlie Mingus (Time Square). Ivan Jullien is a French trumpeter, bandleader and arranger, who composed and arranged over one hundred songs for various french singers among Henri Salvador, Charles Aznavour, Sacha Distel, or Françoise Hardy. He collaborated also with the greatest jazz musicians such as Michel Legrand, Francis Lai (arrangements on "A Man  And A Woman"), Quincy Jones, Count Basie Orchestra or Dee Dee Bridgewater. During the sixties and the seventies, he was the leader of the Paris Jazz All-Stars big band featuring the organist Eddy Louiss, drummer Jean Arpino, pianists Maurice Vander & Michel Colombier, all credited as musicians on "Riviera Sound No.1".

Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats + 1 - Electronics

Year : 1970

Label : Nippon Columbia

Genre : Jazz

Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul, Jazz Rock

Crossover Jazz album by the Sharps & Flats big band lead by saxophonist Nobuo Hara featuring Hiroshi Suzuki (tb), Koji Suzuki (as) Toshihiko Ogawa (p), Hiroshi Takeuchi (eb), Kazuhiro Ebisawa (ds), Takao Naoi (eg) among others, and special guest, Takehiro Honda on Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 organ. As the title suggest, Nobuo Hara introduces for the first time electronic elements in "Sharps & Flats" in particular electric bass & piano. It's also the first incursion in the R&B genre, that's why Masahiko Satoh & Yasuo Arakawa were recruited in charge of arrangements. Titles include Rock & Soul covers from Jethro Tull (Bourree), The Beatles (Come Together) and original compositions by Nobuo Hara (Tumblin! Tambourine!, Horse Laugh Blues) and Masahiko Sato (Nervous Breakdown). 

 

Jiro Inagaki + Soul Big Media - Jazz & Rock "Out"

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Big Band

[Jazz & Rock "Out"] is a recording live at Hibiya Amphitheater performed by an expanded group of the Soul Media band led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki. From the original quintet to form the Soul Big Media, a brass ensemble is added featuring Tadayuki Harada, Shigeo Suzuki, Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Imai among others. Titles include "The Ground For Peace", taken from the Head Rock album, an variation of the "Head Rock" song called "Yie-Pie", the jazz standard "Freedom Jazz Dance" of Eddie Harris, the traditionnal Negro Spiritual "Oh ! Happy Day", the massive hit from  Blood, Sweat And Tears, "Spinning Wheel", and the classic Soul cover from Talma Motown, "You've Made Me So Very Happy".

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Sadakazu Tabata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

LISTEN SAMPLE

Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, Hozan Yamamoto - Sharps & Flats In Newport

Year : 1967
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, World, Traditional, Big Band

Sharps & Flats lead by saxophonist Nobuo Hara meet Hozan Yamamoto, featuring Hiroshi Suzuki (tb), Koji Suzuki (as), Teruyuki Fukushima (tp), Toshihiko Ogawa (p) Hiroshi Takeuchi (b) among others. Hozan Yamamoto was the most famous shakuhachi musician (japanese bamboo flute), internationally renowned as pioneer for the traditional instruments introduction into modern music, in particular in Jazz. All tracks were extracted from recording sessions in studio under a replay form of their first live performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1967. "Sharps & Flats In Newport" is the meeting between Jazz and the japanese folk music, including the bamboo flute on various tracks inspired by japanese traditional music and composed by Nobuo Hara (Hakone Mago Uta, Midare, Geisha Girl). Titles include also japanese jazz standard "Sakura Sakura", songs in the Buddy Rich Big Band style (Sohran-Bushi, Awa Dance) and the Bobby Timmons' classic "So Tired" played in the Bossa Nova mode. All tracks conducted by Nobuo Hara, arranged by Norio Maeda & Kiyoshi Yamaya.

Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] - The 3rd Funky & Pop

Year : 2001
Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Cool Jazz

Yuji Ohno featuring Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki & Kenichiro Murata in LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] Part III, the last album with the original formation before Suzuki left the trio. As suggests the title, the musical approach is a bit different than the two first previous releases, including jazz expressions with soul grooves and pop rhythms. Titles include classics songs composed for the Lupin The 3rd serie as always opening "Theme From Lupin III", "Treasures Of Time" (Cagliostro No Shiro's movie theme) and "Zenigata Rock" (Zenigata March/Don't Be Shy Zenigata), variation on the standard Ohno's song "Mayflower" (originally recorded for "Electro Keyboard Orchestra" project in 1975) and new original compositions. All tracks composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno. 

MUSICIANS :  Yuji Ohno - piano - Yoshio Suzuki - wood bass - Kenichiro Murata - drums - Tatsuji Yokohama - percussion - Makoto Hirahara, Atsushi Tsuzurano & Kazuhiko Kondo - saxophones - Shin Kazuhara, Yuji Osada & Norio Koyama - trumpet - Eijiro Nakagawa, Masanori Hirohara & Masaki Domoto - trombone

LISTEN SAMPLE

Marlena Shaw - Out Of Different Bags

Year : 1967
Label : Cadet Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Funk/Soul, Vocal

Debut album of iconic Jazz & Soul songstress Marlena Shaw including pure jazz vocal and mighty soul songs. "Out Of Different Bags" is a contemporary jazz album, the reminiscence of the Nancy Wilson albums from the sixties, recorded with big band, backing chorus and strings ensemble. Titles include iconic movie theme "It Sure Is Groovy" from "In The Heat Of The Night", Jazz standard "Alone Together", two Ahmad Jamal's cover songs (Ahmad's Blues, I've Gotten Over You) and more familiar numbers like "Matchmaker Matchmaker" from Broadway musical "Fiddler On The Roof" or "Naked City Theme". Produced and arranged by Richard Evans. 

Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd - Your Best Pops 12

Year : 1969
Label : Crown
Genre : Jazz
Style : Pop, Jazz Rock, Big Band

Toshiyuki Miyama revisists the greatest hits of western pop music in big band mode including The Beatles (Get Back), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Proud Mary), Marie Laforêt (Manchester Et Liverpool), The Zombies (Time of the Season) or The Doors (Touch Me). Toshiyuki Miyama is one of the greatest japanese jazz saxophonist/clarinetist, arranger, bandleader, who recorded over 70 albums, composed and produced various music materials for radio, cinema and television. In 1958, he formed his first "New Herd", one of the most prominent big band in the Japanese Jazz history, a talent nursery where were formed many iconic young musicians (including saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara or pianists Norio Maeda, Masahiko Sato), and which known an international recognition. Among his musical feats, The New Herd played for Charlie Mingus (Charles Mingus With Orchestra - 1971), took part to the Monterey Jazz festival in 1974 and supported Nancy Wilson on stage in Japan. All tracks conducted & arranged by Toshiyuki Miyama.

MUSICIANS : Toshiyuki Miyama - alto & soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Takami - alto saxophone - Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone - Shunzo Sunahara - baritone saxophone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Seiichi Tokura - trombone - Masahiko Sato & Norio Maeda - piano - Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar - Masao Kunisada - bass - Sadaichi Tabata - drums

LISTEN SAMPLE

Ella Fitzgerald - Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Year : 1971
Label : Reprise Records
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Funk/Soul, Vocal, Big Band

A similar project to Ella in 1969 when a big band encounter Pop Culture from the sixties. Jazz, Soul, Bossa Nova and Funk. Arranged & conducted by Gerald Wilson and his orchestra with notable musicians as Joe Sample (organ & keyboards), J.J. Johnson (trombone).

01. Sunny
02. Mas Que Nada
03. A Man And A Woman
04. Days Of Wine And Roses
05. Black Coffee
06. Tuxedo Junction
07. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
08. Don't Dream Of Anybody But Me
09. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
10. Willow Weep For Me
11. Manteca
12. Just When We're Falling In Love

Janko Nilovic - Rythmes Contemporains

LISTEN SAMPLE

 

Year : 2010/1974
Label : Vadim Music/Montparnasse 2000
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Modal, Big Band

Big-Band Jazz masterpiece of Janko Nilovic composed in the Jazz Rock style, performed by a great orchestra featuring violinist Catherine Lara, drummer André Ceccarelli, percussionist Jean Schultheis and including some singers from Broadway rock musical "Hair". Janko Nilovic is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger & conductor from France. As eminent producer of Montparnasse 2000 (a french music library label), he composed numerous soundcapes for TV documentaries. As pianist/composer, he worked with Davy Jones (founder member of The Monkees) for a singles serie recorded between 1967-1969, and was an arranger in demand for french artists such as Michel Jonasz. All tracks composed by Janko Nilovic, except "Giant Locomotion" by Jean-Pierre Alarcen. Originally released as "Giant" in 1972, "Rythmes Contemporains" was edited in 1974 by Montparnasse 2000 Editions with additional bonus track "The Savage Rose".

Kimiko Kasai With Gil Evans Orchestra - Satin Doll

Year : 1972

Label : CBS

Genre : Jazz

Style : Vocal, Big Band, Smooth

Best Kimiko Kasai's album ever recorded with the Gil Evans Orchestra featuring some american and japanese jazz greats among Billy Harper, Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson, Kohsuke Mine, Yoshio Suzuki or Hiroshi Fukumura. The tracklist consists of jazz standards including "Satin Doll" by Duke Ellington, "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Willie Dixon or also "I'm Walkin'" by Fats Domino played in a jazz funk variation. All tracks arranged by Gil Evans, produced by Kiyoshi Itoh and recorded at Tokyo.

MUSICIANS : Kimiko Kasai - vocal - Gil Evans - electric piano - Masayuki Takayanagi - guitar - Yoshio Suzuki - bass - Yoshiyuki Nakamura - drums - Kohsuke Mine - soprano & Alto saxophone - Marvin Peterson - trumpet - Hiroshi Fukumura & Hiroshi Munekiyo - trombone - Billy Harper - flute

LISTEN SAMPLE