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

Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven - Exciting Electric Bass

Year : 1969
Label : Victor
Serie : Perfect Sound 6
Genre : Jazz, Pop
Style : Jazz Rock

"Exciting Electric Bass" is a jazz rock and covers album recorded by Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven with japanese pop arranger Kunihiko Suzuki. It focuses on western pop hits & Soul Music including The Supremes (You Keep Me Hangin' On), The Tempations (I'm Gonna Make You Love Me) The Beatles (Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Back In The U.S.S.R), passing by The Jackson 5 (Maybe Tomorrow). Isao Etoh is a japanese session musician in demand who contributed as bassist to the success of the GS japanese rock genre during the sixties, recruited by Jackie Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets, The Jaguars, The Wild Ones or Terry and his Blue Jeans (Takeshi Terauchi). He collaborated to over 5000 recordings of pop songs, supporting various famous japanese pop icons (Linda Yamamoto, Yukari Ito, Jun Mayuzumi or Mieko Hirota). In the late sixties, he joined alongside the jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa, the backing band formed for the Japanese version of Broadway musical "Hair". Thereafter, he became a regular bassist in the Count Buffalos band of Akira Ishikawa. From the late sixties, Isao recorded a pop covers albums serie (like "Golden Electric Bass" with the Black Panthers) and joined several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd (Exciting Rock Beat, 1969), Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quartet (Playboy Sound - Get Back, 1969). At last, during the seventies, Isao played for Masabumi Kikuchi ("Masabumi Kikuchi + Gil Evans Orchestra" in 1972), Kimiko Kasai, Jiro Inagaki & Motohiko Hino.

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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Sadao Watanabe - Sadao Plays Bacharach & Beatles

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Pop, Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock,

As title suggests, "Sadao Plays Bacharach & Beatles" is a compilation album of their best known songs. It brings together three studio recordings and six live recordings from the Sadao Watanabe's 1968 performance at Sankei-Hall, Tokyo, featuring Terumasa Hino, Kazuo Yashiro, Yoshiaki Masuo, Hiroshi Suzuki & Yoshio Ikeda. Titles include some famous Burt Bacharach's pop songs (Look Of Love, Walk On By) and from The Beatles, including three tracks from their "Magical Mystery Tour" album, all played in the Soul Jazz/Rock styles. All tracks of the side B are studio recordings whose a over 14 min variation of George Harrison's "Blue Jay Way" including free rock expressions.

MUSICIANS : Sadao Watanabe - alto saxophone, sopranino - Yoshiaki Masuo - guitar- Yoshio Ikeda - bass - Isao Eto - electric bass - Fumio Watanabe - drums - Yuji Imamura - percussion- Kazuo Yashiro - organ, electric piano, hapsicord -  Terumasa Hino & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Yasushi Ichihara - baritone trombone

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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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Akira Ishikawa Count Buffalo Jazz And Rock Band - Bakishinba~Memories Of Africa

Year : 1970
Label : Polydor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock

The legendary drummer Akira Ishikawa & his Count Buffalos were prolific on the japanese fusion scene since the late sixties. Akira Ishikawa started in the mid-fifties when he joined the Akira Miyazawa's Modern All Stars and later the famous "New Herd" big band conducted by saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama. Akira Ishikawa becomes renown as bandleader for the Japanese version of rock musical ‘Hair’ from Broadway. Thereafter he becomes a sought-after session musician playing for various artists including japanese jazz/pop songstress Mieko Hirota, and formed the supergroup "Freedom Unity", a jazz quintet featuring pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba and trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. After a trip in eastern Africa, Akira introduces in his music various traditional afro-percussions (as the Bakishinba) brought back of his wanderings, in order to create a fusion between African music, Jazz, Rock & Soul,  which will reach its apogee with the iconic album, "Uganda", released in 1972. Titles include soul jazz tracks "Sandstorm", "Flamingo" & "Blue Soul" (composed by Hiromasa Suzuki), the psychedelic-jazz-rock suite with free expressions "African Deer" (composed by Norio Maeda). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda & Hiromasa Suzuki.

COUNT BUFFALOS : Akira Ishikawa - drums & african percussion - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - electric guitar - Isao Eto - electric bass - Hirosama Suzuki - keyboards - Norio Maeda - organ - Takeru Muraoka - tenor sax - Masami Kawahara - latin percussion

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Yuji Ohno & His Project - Proof Of The Man (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1977
Label : Atlantic
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

"Proof Of The Man" ("Nigen No Shomei") is a crime drama film directed by Junya Sato and starring Yusaku Matsuda & Joe Yamanaka from the japanese psychedelic rock group "Flower Travellin' Band". Yusaku Matsuda (1949-1989) was a famous japanese actor who played the Sato role in the Ridley Scott's Black Rain Movie (1989) and inspired Spike Spiegel, character from Cowboy Bebop serie (1998). Behind the "Yuji Ohno & His Project" featuring saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto, keyboardist Kentaro Haneda & trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki, hides future Ohno's group "You & The Explosion Band" in charge of the "Lupin The 3rd Original Soundtrack". Titles include the heavy funk ("Scorch To Kirizumi"), disco song ("Get Up All The People"), opening and ending themes sung by Joe Yamanaka ("Nigen No Shomei Theme"). Composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - keyboards - Kentaro Haneda & Minoru Kuribayashi - organ - Akira Okazawa - bass - Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Takeru Muraoka & Jake H. Concepcion - saxophone - Eiji Arai & Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Koji Hatori & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Larry Sunaga & Pepe Anai - percussion - Minoru Suzuki Group - strings

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