Teruo Nakamura And The Rising Sun - Song Of The Birds

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

Also known as the U.S. issue "Manhattan Special" with different cover, "Song Of The Birds" is the third solo album by japanese bassist & multi-instrumentalist Teruo Nakamura. Settled in New York since 1964, Teruo has already worked for the greatest like Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Roy Haynes, Grover Washington Jr, Helen Merrill, Steve Grossman and many more. Recorded  in New York, featuring "The Rising Sun Band", formed by Teruo &guitarist/keyboardist Shiro Mori from the previous album "Rising Sun" in 1976, it includes also some prestigious guests such as Herbie Hancock or trumpeter John Mosley from the Roy Ayers Ubiquity. Titles include pure Jazz Funk tracks to the Headhunters' style (Wiggle Worm, Firefly, Mr. Cherry And Mr. T) and Afro-Latin fusion (Rainbow, Sequoia Forest, Mosquito, Sunrise In Africa). The music of Teruo transcends musical borders of jazz, as evidenced several of his songs which have been sampled by US Hip-Hop artists as such The Roots with "The Cat" (1976) for "Ital (The Universal Side)" or P.M. Dawn with "Firefly" for "Filthy Rich (I Don't Wanna Be)".

THE RISING SUN BAND : Teruo Nakamura - bass, harmonica, synthesizer, percussion - Shiro Mori - guitar, synthesizer - Mark Gray - piano, electric piano, synthesizer, organ - Harry Whitaker - piano, electric piano - Carter Jefferson - tenor, soprano saxophone - Keiji Kishida - drums - Nobu Urushiyama - percussion

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Fabiano Orchestra - Butterfly Island

Year : 2013/1980
Label :  Superfly Records/Franck R. Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Créole

Superfly Records reissue of rare French West Indies treasure recorded in Guadeloupe & mixed at Platinium Factory, New York. "Fabiano Orchestra" is a Jazz Créole-Fusion  group based in Guadeloupe featuring drummer/percussionist Jean-François Fabiano surrounded by Caribbean and prestigious american jazz musicians including Bunny Brissett (former chorist for the Sly&Robbie band), Clifford Jordan (flute), Hannibal Peterson (trumpet), Carter Jefferson  from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (saxophone). Titles the killer jazz funk tune "Half Moon Bay", "Fo Ça Changé" & "Pointe Des Châteaux", both played in the typical Jazz créole style, the gwoka (Guadeloupe folk) "Créole", and the pure reggae rockers "Rastaman Rock" featuring Bunny Brissett.

Mongo Santamaria - Up From The Roots

Year : 1972

Label : Atlantic

Genre : Latin Jazz

Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz

 

One of the main actor to the success of Afro-Cuban Jazz in the US with the standard "Afro-Blue" popularized by John Coltrane, Mongo Santamaria was also known as a major figure of fusion between latin beat and Soul music. "Up From the Roots", thirty years after his first work as a leader, is an ode to cuban percussions exploring the African roots of Caribbean music including various dances and songs from Guaguanco (En La Habana) to Mambo (Conga, Bata, Y Chequere) and Rumba (Me Buele La Muele). Titles include also typical Afro-Cuban Jazz track "Para Ti" and the funky "Jose Outside". It features Carter Jefferson & Bill Saxon (sax), Lew Soloff & Jon Faddis (tp), Eddy Martinez (p) - Eddie Rivera (b), Steve Barrios (ds).

Shunzo Ohno - Quater Moon

Year : 1979
Label : King Records
Serie : Electric Bird
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Fusion, Jazz Funk, Smooth Jazz

"Quater Moon" was recorded at the famous Electric Lady studios in New York featuring american musicians including Marcus Miller, Carter Jefferson and Kenny Kirkland. Shunzo Ohno is a japanese trumpeter who played, recorded and toured with various renowned jazz figures such as Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock or Wayne Shorter. In the late sixties, Shunzo was enrolled by drummer Takeshi Inomata in his Jazz Rock band, The Sound Limited, he has only 19 years old. In the early seventies, Shunzo evolved in various groups like the Soul Media of saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, was sideman for drummer George Otsuka, and formed in 1972, his first jazz quartet featuring pianist Mikio Masuda. Settled in New York since 1974, after a tour throughout the US with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, he regularly played alongside others american musicians among drummer Roy Haynes, bassist Reggie Lucas, and within the Machito & His Afro Cuban Orchestra on stage. Shunzo recorded his first US leader album "Something's Coming" in 1975, and gains visibility from the Jazz Funk album "Bubbles" in 1976. Titles include only compositions arranged by Shunzo Ohno.

MUSICIANS : Shunzo Ohno - trumpet, flugelhorn & mini moog - Carter Jefferson - trumpet & saxophone - Kenny Kirkland & Onaje Allan Gumbs - keyboards - Marcus Miller - electric bass - Jeff Laton - guitar - Sue Evans - congas, percussion -  Victor Louis - drums

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Teruo Nakamura - Rising Sun

Year : 1976
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

"Rising Sun" is a typical Jazz Funk album, among best japanese productions reminicent of the Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters era, including Latin Jazz with samba beats (Rising Sun, Precious One), Electronic grooves (Red Shoes), Heavy Hancock's Funk (Cat), Smooth Jazz (Morning Mist / Steppin' With Lord) and Reggae (Sweet Pea & Collard Greens). Teruo Nakamura is a japanese producer, multi-instrumentalist and jazz bassist based in New York since 1964. He studied double bass alongside Reggie Workman and played for drummer Roy Haynes on "Hip Ensemble" released in 1971. Recorded at A&R Studio, New York City, "Rising Sun" is his second studio album introducing his new group "The Rising Sun Band" featuring special guest musician, the organist Dr Lonnie Smith, and including guitarist Shiro Mori, pianist Harry Whitaker, saxophonists Steve Grossman & Carter Jefferson, trumpeter John Mosley, drummer Art Gore.

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