Label : Superfly Records/King Records
Serie : New Emotional Work Series
Genre : Jazz, Folk
Style : Folk, Jazz Rock, Min'yō
Minoru Muraoka was probably the best known shakuhachi player (traditional bamboo flute), with Hozan Yamamoto & Toshiaki Yokota (Sound Limited, The Beat Generation). He was among the first to mix Japanese folk with popular music, playing in particular with Herbie Mann ("Surprises" & "Gagaku And Beyond" in 1976). "Bamboo" is a crossbreeding between jazz, pop and Japanese folk music, recorded with a large ensemble of traditional instruments among shakuhachi, koto, biwa, shamisen and taiko, all performed by the New Dimension Group, featuring percussionists Hiromitsu & Kisaku Katada (Original Soundtrack From Lupin The 3rd), Masako Hirayama on biwa, Kimiko Yamanouchi on koto. The album is divided in two parts with first side that showcases the traditional Japanese instruments (in particular the percussions), while the other side opens on Pop/Rock orientation including an other rhythm section, The New Emotions, featuring Akira Ishikawa (ds), Yusuke Higuchi (org), Sadanori Nakamure (eg) & Jun Suzuki (eb). Titles include jazz standard "Take Five" (Paul Desmond), three original compositions with the folk song "Nogamigawa Funauta", his masterpiece "The Positive And Negative" (most sampled Minoru Muraoka's song), the iconic "Soul Bamboo", and various pop cover songs from The Beatles to The Animals by Simon & Gartfunkel.
