Albert Ayler - Free Jazz

Year : 1979/1964

Label : Vogue/Freedom Records

Genre : Jazz

Style : Free Jazz, Hard Bop

Although he was recognized by John Coltrane, Albert Ayler (1936-1970) remained an accursed artist who divided critics, while he was a brilliant Avant-Garde saxophonist and a eminent actor of the Free Jazz movement during the early sixties. Originally released under "My Name Is Albert Ayler" on Debut Records (Jazz label founded by Charles Mingus & Max Roach), "Free Jazz" was recorded live in 1963 in Copenhagen for the Danish National Radio. The formation consists on two danish jazz musicians, the rookie Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (16 years old bassist), pianist Niels Brønsted and american drummer, Ronnie Gardiner. Titles are mostly played in the Hard Bop style including original composition "C.T." by Ayler, jazz standards (On Green Dolphin Street, Bye Bye Blackbird)and others cover songs from Charlie Parker (Billie's Bounce) to George Gershwin (Summertime), all with free improvisations.

Various - Trio By Trio + 1

Year : 1970
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Free Jazz, Contempory Jazz, Hard Bop

Recommended by the Swing Journal, the legendary Japanese jazz magazine from 1947 to 2010, "Trio By Trio + 1" is a japanese jazz essential album recording live to the forefront of the japanese jazz including avant-garde Jazz with free forms. Performed and recorded at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo in 1970 by three rhythm sections led by the masters Yosuke Yamashita, Itaru Oki and Yuji Ohno, joined by jazz vocalist Kimiko Kasai, all met in an amazing concert. Titles include Free Jazz tracks performed by the Yosuke Yamashita (Dore) & Itaru Oki Trio (Conversation With Water), jazz standards "Autumn Leaves", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" & "Get Out Of Town" by Yuji Ohno Trio, "Black Shadow Woman" & "Theme Of The Unkown People" by the meeting Yuji Ohno + Itaru Oki Trio feat. Kimiko Kasai.

MUSICIANS : Yosuke Yamashita & Yuji Ono - piano - Itaru Oki - trumpet - Seiichi Nakamura - saxophone - Takeo Moriyama, Hozumi Tanaka & Kazuyoshi Okayama - drums - Keiki Midorikawa & Takashi Mizuhashi - bass - Kimiko Kasai - vocal

DISC 1 : Yosuke Yamashita Trio - Dore / Yosuke Yamashita Trio - Mokurin ~ Gugan / Itaru Oki Trio - Flying Into The Space / Itaru Oki Trio - Conversation With Water

DISC 2 : Yuji Ohno Trio - Autumn Leaves / Yuji Ohno Trio, Kimiko Kasai - I Can't Give You Anything But Love / Yuji Ohno Trio, Kimiko Kasai - Get Out Of Town / Yuji Ohno Trio - Kenny's Moods / Itaru Oki Trio, Yuji Ohno Trio, Kimiko Kasai - Black Shadow Woman / Itaru Oki Trio, Yuji Ohno Trio, Kimiko Kasai - Theme Of The Unkown People

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Full Moon Ensemble Featuring Claude Delcloo ‎- Crowded With Loneliness

Year : 2013/1970
Label : Superfly Records/CBS
Serie : ATK
Genre : Jazz
Style : Free Jazz, Modal

Best known as the backing band of Archie Shepp during his live performance at Juan Les Pins Jazz Festival in 1970, "Full moon Ensemble" was formed by guitarist Joseph Déjean & drummer Claude Delcloo, the both main composers of the group. Claude Delcloo is also known as the founder of BYG Records & "Actuel", an iconic magazine, leader of counterculture in the late sixties in France. Deeply influenced by John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and the beat generation, the collective performed protest music including Free Jazz based on esoteric poetry from american poet Bob Kaufman. Titles include "Samba Miaou", a part of the "Tribute To Bob Kaufman" suite, selected  by JAZZMAN RECORDS for the "Spiritual Jazz Series Vol.3" compilation and by Digger's Digest for "Mobilisation Générale" compilation, released by french independant label, Born Bad Records.

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.

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Hiroshi Suzuki=Masahiko Togashi Quintet - Variation

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde

Essential jazz album among the influences of the future-jazz quartet Sleep Walker by trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. "Variation" is a joint project including the legendary jazz drummer Masahiko Togashi featuring pianist Yuji Ohno, saxophonist Jun Suzuki and trumpeter Tetsuo Fushimi. Masahiko Togashi was a major figure alongside Masahiko Sato, Masayuki Takayanagi and Yosuke Yamashita in the blooming of free jazz in Japan in the late sixties whose "Variation" is one of the iconic masterpiece. Masahiko Togashi started in 1957, when he joined the Sadao Watanabe Quartet, which will bring him to play for various legends of Jazz as pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, Helen Merrill, Masayuki Takayanagi, Yosuke Yamashita or Charlie Mariano and also in jazz big bands such as the famous Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd. He recorded various free jazz sessions in 1969, with the Masahiko Sato Trio, several solo projects (the first "We Now Create"), and the same year, formed his best known quintet, the J.J. Spirits. Titles include "Castle Cats" selected in the  "Shibuya Jazz Classics - Sleep Walker Collection", compilation released in 2003.

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