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

Akira Ishikawa & The Gentures - Beat Pops / Drum Hits

Year : 1970
Label : Denon
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Originally recorded in 1969, "Beat Pops / Drum Hits" is a cover album of international pop hits from the late sixties, performed by the first incarnation of the Count Buffalos conducted by jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa. Titles include various western popular songs such as "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, "Come Together" by The Beatles, "Green River" by The Creedance, "Love Me Tonight" by Tom Jones, "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones' classic "Honky Tonk Women". Among others titles include a french song, "Aime Ceux Qui T'aiment" by Danièle Vidal, best known in Japan than in France under "Tenshi No Rakugaki" name. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Aoi.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Takeshi Onodera - percussion - Hiromasa Suzuki - keyboards - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Masaoki Terakawa & Isao Eto - bass - Takeru Muraoka - soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

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The Freedom Unity - Down By The Naked City

Year : 1971
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Free Jazz, Post Bop, Modal

Iconic avant-garde masterpiece from the legendary jazz supergroup featuring keyboardist Hiromasa "Colgen" Suzuki, saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba, trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki and drummer Akira Ishikawa. The group was formed by all-stars japanese jazz musicians, members of Terumasa Hino Quintet, Count Buffalos & The Soul Media, starting with "Something" in 1970 (highlighting saxophonist Takeru Muraoka), recorded "Salute To Soul" & "Dynamic Rock" featuring japanese rock songstress Masami Chino (Sammy) in 1971, and Hiroshi Suzuki's album "Cat" released in 1975. The album opens on the title-track, an extended modal suite over 23 minutes played in two parts ("The Doors Of Perception" & "The Dancing Protoplasm"), composed by Hiroshi Suzuki, follow by "The Equator", "The Old Castle" & the Muraoka's original composition, "Light Up". All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

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Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band - Soul & Rock

Year : 1969
Label : Denon
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Modal

Free Jazz Rock album including cover songs and original compositions recorded by the Count Buffalo band, pioneer of the Japanese Jazz Rock style featuring jazz giant pianist/arranger Masahiko Satō. The second album of Akira Ishikawa under the Count Buffalo nickname, who was actives since the mid-fifties as prolific percussionist and most famous jazz drummer with Motohiko Hino, Takeshi Inomata & George Kawaguchi. Titles include free forms of Jazz & psychedelic rock from The Beatles (Michelle, Hey Jude), the Motown's iconic song "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" which was performed by The Supremes, The Temptations & Stevie Wonder, the negro spiritual "Deep River", two compositions of Masahiko Satō "The Cougar" & "No More Than A Drop". All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki & Masahiko Satō.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Masahiko Satō - piano - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Takeru Muraoka - saxophone

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Terumasa Hino Quintet - Hakuchu No Shugeki (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 2011

Label : Disk Union

Serie : Ciné Jazz

Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen

Style : Post Bop, Hard Bop, Jazz Funk, Modal

Original Soundtrack from the japanese iconic action movie "Hakuchu No Shugeki" produced by TOHO. Released in 1970, the movie was directed by an aficionado of Jazz, Kiyoshi Nishimura and starring Toshio Kurosawa in the main role. Originally released in 1969, the single "Snake Hip" was edited by Nippon Columbia on 45rpm with "Hakuchu No Shugeki - Theme" on side b, but the full music files of the original score had never been edited. Disk Union store's own label released the complete soundtrack for the Ciné Jazz serie in 2011. The music was performed by the legendary Terumasa Hino Quintet featuring Takeru Muraoka, Hiromasa Suzuki, Kunimitsu Inaba & Motohiko Hino. Titles include "Snake Hip" in the original extented version under "On The Corner" name, "Supermarket" (original recording in short version of "Hakuchu No Shugeki - Theme"), and the long modal piece "Getaway". All tracks composed & arranged by Terumasa Hino.

MUSICIANS : Terumasa Hino - trumpet - Takeru Muraoka - tenor saxophone, flute - Hiromasa Suzuki - piano, Fender Rhodes - Kunimitsu Inaba - double bass, electric bass - Motohiko Hino - drums

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Count Buffalos - Emergency

Year : 1976
Label : Toshiba
Serie : Pro-Use Direct Cutting Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

"Emergency" is a jazz funk album recorded by drummer Akira Ishikawa featuring his Count Buffalos band and the japanese Funk/Soul songstress Tan-Tan. As on "Get Up!", his previous album, "Emergency" was arranged by pianist Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki & guitarist Takao Naoi, incorporating some disco-beats and including the same line-up with saxophonist Takeru Muraoka and keyboardist Hideo Ichikawa, among others. Hiromasa Suzuki composed the opening disco-funk "Yama-To-Mizu", while others titles include the "Drum Solo" performed by Akira Ishikawa, cover songs featuring Tan-Tan ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" by James Taylor, "I've Never Found A Man" in the pure disco style by Esther Phillips) and the Galper Hal's "Phases".

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki & Hideo Ichikawa - keyboards - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Takao Naoi - guitar - Larry Sunaga - percussion - Takeru Muraoka & Masao Suzuki - saxophones - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Eji Arai - trombone

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Sammy, Freedom Unity - Salute To Soul

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia

Serie : Master Sonic

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock, Blues Rock

"Salute To Soul" is a duet album by the jazz quintet "Freedom Unity" introducing Sammy featuring Hiromasa Suzuki (keys), Kunimitsu Inaba (b), Takeru Muraoka (sax), Akira Ishikawa (ds) & Hiroshi Suzuki (tb). Sammy is the pseudonym of Masami Chino, a versatile soul-rock songstress, the japanese counterpart of Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin. Mostly actives during the seventies, Sammy recorded another album with the group, "Dynamic Rock" feat. the Singers Three, collaborated with saxophonist Jiro Inagaki & his Soul Media on two albums ("Wandering Birds", "Woman Robinson Crusoe-Rock Steady") and with the Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos on "Soul & Soul". From Jazz to Soul passing by psychedelic rock, Sammy revisits the classics of british and american rock (Nobody's Fault But Mine, See See Rider) including jazz standards (St. James Infirmary, Willow Weep For Me, Summertime). All songs arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

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Jiro Inagaki & His Friends - Funky Best

Year : 1975
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

Cover album of heavy funk dedicated to the Boogie-Funk featuring saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, arranger Hiromasa Suzuki, keyboardist Kentaro Haneda, bassist Isao Eto, percussionist Larry Sunaga & japanese singer Akira Yasuda from Akira Yasuda & Beat Folk. "Funky Best" brings together various songs from the grooviest american Funk/Soul bands from the seventies among others, Billy Preston (Outa Space), Stevie Wonder (Living For The City), Kool & The Gang (Jungle Boogie, Funky Stuff), B.T. Express (Express), The Commodores (Machine Gun) or Sly & The Family Stone (Loose Booty). Arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki and Jiro Inagaki.

MUSICIANS : Akira Yasuda - vocal & keyboards - Jiro Inagaki - tenor & soprano saxophone, flute - Kentaro Haneda - keyboards & syntheziser - Hiroshi Yasukawa & Tada Isamu - guitar - Isao Eto & Minami Masayuki - bass - Koji Takeda & Jun Kiguchi - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussion

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Akira Ishikawa & The Gentures - Rock, Rock '70

Year : 1970

Label : Denon

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Rock cover album dedicated to the first classics which made the fame of Rock 'N' Roll, recorded by the predecessor band of the Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos featuring Shigeru Namuro, Takeru Muraoka, Hiromasa Suzuki, Isao Eto & Masaoki Terakawa. "Rock, Rock '70" is an acid rock variation of the Rock 'N' Roll standards from the late fifties, using reverberation, distortion & others psychedelic effects. Titles include mostly iconic songs from the Elvis Presley's repertoire such as "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Blue Suede Shoes" or the killer tune "Hound Dog", but also others classics like "Lucille" by Little Richard "Be Bop A Lula", by Gene Vincent or "Sittin' In The Balcony" by Eddie Cochran. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Aoi.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki - keyboards - Shigeru Namuro - guitar - Masaoki Terakawa & Isao Eto - bass - Takeru Muraoka - soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

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Terumasa Hino Quintet - Hi-Nology

Year : 1969

Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series

Genre : Jazz

Style : Post Bop, Fusion

The japanese jazz masterpiece recorded by the legendary Terumasa Hino Quintet featuring saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba, pianist Hiromasa Suzuki & drummer Motohiko Hino. "Hi-Nology" is an essential japanese jazz album released on the Takt Jazz Series, recorded under live conditions at the famous Yamaha Hall, Tokyo, with the full expressions of Terumasa Hino at the top of his game. "Hi-Nology" was inspired by "Miles In The Sky" album which contributed to the electrification in Jazz, and therefore, opening the fusion era. The album opens on the tribute to Miles Davis, "Like Miles", passing by Muraoka's tune "Electric Zoo" including free forms of jazz, the heavy funk "Hi-Nology" and the jazz avant-garde "Dupe".

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Count Buffalo & His Rock Band - Exciting Drums ~ African Rock Party

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Exciting Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Latin Rock

Debut album introducing the Count Buffalo's name, behind which hide Akira Ishikawa & his rock band featuring pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki, Kiyoshi Sugimoto (eg), Takeru Muraoka (ts) and Masaoki Terakawa (eb). "African Rock Party" opens the african period of the legendary jazz drummer, including twelve jazz rock tracks to the african & latin beats with psychedelic grooves & funky horns, all arranged by Kozaburo Yamaki & Hiroshi Takami from the Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd. Titles include only covers & jazz standards (The Sidewinder, The Cat) from Soul to Rock among The Supremes (You Keep Me Hangin' On),The Doors (Touch Me) or Booker T. & The MG's (Soul Limbo).

Kiyoshi Sugimoto - Guitar Method

Year : 1972

Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic, Method Series
Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Among the best crossover jazz album taken from the "Method Series" of the Nippon Columbia including pop/rock hits revisited by japanese jazz guitarist, Kiyoshi Sugimoto featuring pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki. "Guitar Method" is mainstream album in the manner of the Creed Taylor's productions, a more commercial approach with strings arrangements. The meeting between Jazz and Pop music in which Sugimoto fits into a guitar hero stance, discharging insane guitar solos like on "Get In On", supported by the acid organ sounds from Suzuki. Titles include iconic songs of the pop music ("Madman Across The Water" by Elton John, "Imagine" by John Lennon) and all Rock 'N Roll styles represented from Heavy Metal (Led Zeppelin - Black Dog) to Progressive rock (The Moody Blues - The Story In Your Eyes or "Everybody's Everything" by Santana) by Glam Rock (T-Rex - Get In On) or Soft Rock (Carol King - It's Too Late, Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline). All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

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Akira Ishikawa All Stars - Drums Method

Year : 1972

Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Method Series
Genre : Jazz, Progressive Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Crossover jazz album taken from the "Method Series" of the Nippon Columbia catalogue, recorded by Akira Ishikawa (drums) and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki (electric piano). Surrounded by All-Stars big band conducted by Hiromasa Suzuki, Akira Ishikawa revisits the classics of western Pop music and the Rock 'N' Roll standards, all played in the jazz rock style from Soft Rock to Heavy Metal including psychedelic grooves & insane drum breaks. Titles include only pop/rock hits released from the late sixties of Chicago (Lowdown), Deep Purple (Black Night), Elton John (It's Me That You Need), Simon & Garfunkel (Bridge Over Trouble Water), Fleetwood Mac (Black Magic Woman), The Beatles (Come Together, Let It Be) or french songstress Nicoletta (Mamy Blue). All Tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

Hiromasa Suzuki - Rock Joint Biwa ~ Kumikyoku Fulukotofumi

Year : 1972
Label : RCA
Serie : DYNAGROOVE
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, World Music, Psychedelic Rock

"Rock Joint Biwa", is the first part of experimental musical project, the unfinished trilogy of pianist Hiromasa Suzuki called "Rock Joint", mixing Jazz Rock with Oriental music featuring Akira Ishikawa, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Kunimitsu Inaba and Takeru Muraoka. The album is a psychedelic work based on the "Kojiki" (also called Fulukotofumi), a compilation of myths, legends and oral traditions from the ancient Japan. Recorded during the same session as the "Rock Joint - Cither", the album showcases japanese traditional instruments including wadaiko and biwa played by Akira Ishikawa & Kuifumi Miyake. Titles include the musical piece for biwa, "Yamatoshi Uruwashi", "Hi No Kawa" featuring the Tamaki Quartet, from heavy-metal (Ananiyashiewotomewo) to smooth-jazz (Watatsumi No Irokonomiya). All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

MUSICIANS : Hiromasa Suzuki - piano, electric piano - Kunimitsu Inaba - bass - Hideo Sekine - drums - Kuifumi Miyake - biwa - Akira Ishikawa - wadaiko - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Takehisa Suzuki - trumpet - Takeru Muraoka - tenor saxophone - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone - Tamaki Quartet - strings

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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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Hiromasa Suzuki - Rock Joint Cither ~ Silk Road

Year : 1973
Label : RCA
Serie : DYNAGROOVE
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, World, Psychedelic Rock

"Rock Joint Cither" is the second part of an unfinished trilogy, an oriental-Jazz-Rock project including traditional eastern instruments, recorded by the Hiromasa Suzuki feat. Kunimitsu Inaba, Takeru Muraoka and sitar musician Yoko Uehara. Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki was one of the greatest japanese jazz pianist, composer, arranger in demand for various prominent jazz groups whose he takes part, among others the Terumasa Hino Quintet, Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos, The Freedom Unity or the Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media. He was the founder member of the Colgen "backing" Band who supported, in particular, japanese songstress Mieko Hirota or Kimiko Kasai. He collaborated to several concept albums like "Electro Keyboard Orchestra" or "Pianic Pianism" within the Super Tri Piano jazz trio, all alongside Norio Maeda & Masahiko Sato. All compositions & arrangements by Hiromasa Suzuki. 

MUSICIANS : Hiromasa Suzuki - piano & electric piano - Kunimitsu Inaba - bass - Hideo Sekine - drums - Yoko Uehara - sitar - Takeru Muraoka - tenor & soprano saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki - bugle - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone - Yukio Eto - flute - Hiroshi Yoshinaga - oboe - Katsuyoshi Kurusawa - horn

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Akira Ishikawa Trio & R&B All Stars - Soul Session Jazz Goes R&B

Year : 1969

Label : Philips
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul

"Soul Session" is a crossover jazz album recorded by the Akira Ishikawa Trio featuring bassist Masaoki Terakawa and pianist Masahiko Sato, themselves supported by the R&B All Stars including Kiyoshi Sugimoto and Hiromasa Suzuki. Akira Ishikawa takes over some famous massive hits of the western pop music (I Say A Little Prayer, Day Tripper), Funk and R&B standards coming from the kings & queens of Soul such as Otis Redding (...The Dock Of The Bay), Eddie Floyd (Knock On Wood), Sam&Dave (Hold On, I'm Comin') or Aretha Franklin (Chain Of Fools). "Day Tripper", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" & "Sunny" are exclusively performed by the Akira Ishikawa Trio. All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki, Masahiko Sato & Kunihiko Murai.

   

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Masahiko Sato - piano, electric piano - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Tetsuo Fushimi & Koji Hatori - trumpet

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Hiroshi Suzuki - Cat

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

The masterpiece by japanese jazz trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki within the jazz supergroup "Freedom Unity" featuring drummer Akira Ishikawa, keyboardist Hiromasa Suzuki, saxophonist Takeru Muraoka & bassist Kunimitsu Inaba. With Hiroshi Fukumura and Shigeharu Mukai, Hiroshi Suzuki is the best known japanese trombonist who appeared in the front of the japanese jazz scene, when he joined the Sharps & Flats big band conducted by saxophonist Nobuo Hara. In 1969, he recorded his debut album, the Free Jazz/Modal masterpiece "Variation", a joint project with the Masahiko Togashi Quintet released on the famous Takt Jazz Series (the japanese 'Blue Note'), and the same year the big band album "Up Up And Away". From the late sixties Hiroshi becomes a sought-after musician playing as sideman for various japanese jazz artists such as Sadao Watanabe, Takeshi Inomata, Yuji Ohno or Shungo Sawada, joining up thereafter the top Jazz combo "Freedom Unity". Titles include the popular Jazz standard "Walk Tall" composed by Joe Zawinul, the jazz funk "Cat" by Takeru Muraoka, the ballad "Romance" by Hiromasa Suzuki and two original compositions by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Shrimp Dance" & "Kuro To Shiro" with the Kunimitsu Inaba's solo.

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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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