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

Maki Asakawa - Asakawa Maki No Sekai (Maki)

Year : 1970
Label : Express
Genre : Jazz, Folk Rock, Latin Jazz
Style : Pop, Bossa Nova, Avant-Garde

Maki Asakawa was an iconic japanese jazz and blues songstress, lyricist and composer, cantor of japanese counter culture, who recorded over 30 albums between 1970-2010, her first decade being marked by american psychedelia & folk rock music. "Asakawa Maki No Sekai" (The World Of Maki), is an approach of various musical genres mastered by this versatile artist, as well Pop, Jazz, Latin, as Folk & Rock 'N' Roll music. Supported by experienced musicians such as Masaru Imada, Jiro Inagaki & Yokouchi Shoji, she associates compositions of the Jazz arranger  Kozaburo Yamaki to the lyrics of the iconic avant-garde poet, Shuji Terayama. This first Maki's testimony consists in studio & live recordings ranging from Jazz to Bossa Nova, by Acid Folk & Psychedelic Rock, including also some japanese modern folk vocal overtones (Enka). All tracks composed & arranged by Kozaburo Yamaki except "Kamome" by Osamu Kitayama, the New Orleans traditional "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" and "Tombe La Neige" by Adamo.

MUSICIANS : Maki Asakawa - vocal - Masaru Imada - organ, piano - Masanaga Harada - bass - Kohsuke Ichihara - flute, saxophone - Jiro Inagaki - saxophone, flute - Yokouchi Shoji & Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar - Chico Kikuchi - drums

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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media, Tokyo Cuban Boys - Quad Dimension/Rock'N Latin

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Latin Rock

An umpteenth recording jazz rock session performed by Jiro inagaki & His Soul Media featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Takeshi Inomata, backed themselves by the most famous japanese Latin Big Band, the Tokyo Cuban Boys conducted by Tadaaki Misago. Arranged by famous jazz producer Takeo Ogawa, although less interesting than the "Head Rock" album, "Rock'N Latin" leaves however its mark by its originality, and remains a well-made jazz fusion album mixing rock 'n' roll with latin beats including acid organ and guitar distortion. Titles include killer variation of Latin jazz standard "Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock and various international pop/rock hits from The Beatles (Hey Jude) to Blood, Sweet And Tears (Spinning Wheel) by Fleetwood Mac (Black Magic Woman) & The Creedence (Proud Mary).

MUSICIANS : Tadaaki Misago - conductor - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - Wandering Birds

Year : 1971

Label : Nippon Columbia

Serie : Master Sonic Series

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock

The Soul Media led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki featuring rock songstress Sammy and special guest pianist Masahiko Sato, supported by a heavy horn section, in another japanese Jazz Rock act, including progressive rock and pyschedelic music. "Wandering Birds" expands the group with the introduction of new members, iconic actors of the japanese progessive and experimental rock scene from the seventies, guitarists Kimio Mizutani (in groups Sound Limited, The Beat Generation) & organist Hiro Yanagida (Shinki Chen & His Friends, April Fool). Titles include "Wandering Birds" feat. Sammy, the psychedelic trip "Parajika" & the funky track "On The Grass" both feat. Masahiko Sato.

MUSICIANS : Sammy & Sawada Yasushi - vocal - Jiro Inagaki - tenor & soprano saxophone, flute - Tsunehide Matsuki & Kimio Mizutani - guitar - Masahiko Sato - moog synthesizer - Hiro Yanagida - organ - Hideaki Takebe - bass - Kiyoshi Tanaka - drums

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M. Sato + J. Inagaki & His Big Soul Media - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock

Masahiko Sato started as professional musician in the sixties joining the Masaaki Fujita Quintet  and  the Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd Big Band, before to enter in the Berklee College of Music in order to become arranger. From 1968 to 1971, he formed his most famous jazz combo, the Masahiko Sato Trio with the bassist Yasuo Arakawa & drummer Masahiko Togashi (the trio won the Japan Jazz Award in 1970, in the best debut album category for "Palladium"). Prolific pianist, Masahiko Sato has left his indelible mark on the japanese jazz history, with various experimental iconic projects ("Amalgamation", "Tri-Piano" with Norio Maeda), Free Jazz albums such as "Holography" or "Astorama" (with french violinist Jean-Luc Ponty) and soundtracks as "Belladonna" for Tezuka Productions. "Astorama", recorded in 1970, opens the way to his future international collaborations, as composer & arranger, in considerable recordings from Nancy Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Gary Peacock, Art Farmer, Hank Jones passing by his fellow countryman Yohsuke Yamashita. Satoh enrolled the Jazz Rock band "Soul Media", in joint project with Jiro Inagaki featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Yasuo Arakawa plus Tadayuki Harada, Shunzo Ohno & Takeshi Inomata from the Sound limited. Titles include the killer groove "Sniper's Snooze", the psychedelic soul tune "Love & Peace", the pop ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" from Simon & Garfunkel & the bluesy "Somethin Goin On" from Al Kooper. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Sato.

MUSICIANS : Masahiko Sato - piano & electric piano - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Takeshi Inomata & Hajime Ishimatsu - drums - Seiji Tanaka - percussion

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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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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - In The Groove

 

Year : 1973
Label : Nippon Columbia

Serie : Master Sonic

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk

Since "Rough & Elegance" album released in 1972, Jiro Inagaki left the Jazz Rock to focus on Funk/Soul music featuring bassist Akira Okazawa, guitarist Tsunehide Matsuki & Norio Maeda in charge of arrangements & composition. As the "Funky Stuff" album released the next year, "In The Groove" is a careful blend of Jazz, Funk, Soul music and latin beats, all arranged in the same sound engineering approach of the Creed Taylor's CTI recordings. "In The Groove" was recorded such as an album that The Crusaders could have produce, moreover, two of their songs are included : "That's How I Feel" by Wilton Felder and "Put It Where You Want It" by Joe Sample. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - alto & tenor saxophone - Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Takeshi Kamachi - electric piano - Akira Okazawa - bass - Takashi Imai - trombone - Hajime Ishimatsu - drums, percussion

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Jiro Inagaki + Soul Big Media - Jazz & Rock "Out"

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Big Band

[Jazz & Rock "Out"] is a recording live at Hibiya Amphitheater performed by an expanded group of the Soul Media band led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki. From the original quintet to form the Soul Big Media, a brass ensemble is added featuring Tadayuki Harada, Shigeo Suzuki, Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Imai among others. Titles include "The Ground For Peace", taken from the Head Rock album, an variation of the "Head Rock" song called "Yie-Pie", the jazz standard "Freedom Jazz Dance" of Eddie Harris, the traditionnal Negro Spiritual "Oh ! Happy Day", the massive hit from  Blood, Sweat And Tears, "Spinning Wheel", and the classic Soul cover from Talma Motown, "You've Made Me So Very Happy".

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Sadakazu Tabata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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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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The Soul Medium - Woodstock Generation

Year : 1970
Label : Union
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Behind "The Soul Medium" name hides saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, an iconic figure of the japanese Jazz Rock scene during the late sixties to the early seventies. Jiro is supported by his legendary quintet "Soul Media" under its first incarnation featuring Ryo Kawasaki (g) Yasuo Arakawa (b), Masaru Imada (org), Sadakazu Tabata (ds), with Tetsuo Fushimi & Shunzo Ohno on trumpet in addition. "Woodstock Generation" is a tribute album to the Woodstock Festival including songs performed on the stage by Sly & Family Stone (I Want To Take You Higher), The Who (Summertime Blues) or Ten Years After (Spoonful). Titles include also variations on the "Head Rock" theme, "The Ground For Peace" taken from his first album and original composition of Masahiko Sato "Knick Knack". All tracks arranged by Jiro Inagaki.

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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - Head Rock

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

"Head Rock" is an essential japanese jazz album, an iconic masterpiece recorded by the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, introducing his legendary first jazz quintet, the "Soul Media" featuring guitarist Ryo Kawasaki (his first professional appearance), Masaru Imada (org), Yasuo Arakawa (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp) and Sadakazu Tabata (ds). Recorded in 1969 for the famous Takt Jazz Series (the japanese 'Blue Note'), "Head Rock" includes all elements of psychedelic music (guitar fuzz effects, reverb, rock drum breaks and acid organ), cover songs from Hal Galper (The Vamp), Willie Dixon (amazing version of blues standard "Spoonful"), originals composed by Ryo Kawasaki (Twenty One), Masaru Imada (High Jack), Yasuo Arakawa (The Ground For Peace) and Jiro (Head Rock). Jiro Inagaki started in 1963, recruited by american jazz songstress Helen Merrill alongside the Takeshi Inomata's West Liners formation for the album "Helen Merrill In Tokyo". From the late sixties to the early seventies, he was one of the main actor of the Japanese Jazz Rock scene, before turn to Jazz Funk music.  

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N.Maeda = J.Inagaki And The All-Stars - This Is Jazz Rock

Year : 1968

Label : Nippon Columbia

Genre : Jazz

Style : Soul Jazz

Norio Maeda (org) in joint project with Jiro Inagaki (ts) and the Columbia All-Stars featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto (eg), Tatsuro Takimoto (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp), Takeshi Inomata (ds) and Osamu Nakajima (per). Despite the fact that album is titled "Jazz-Rock", is rather a Soul Jazz album, in which Norio Maeda revisits various classics from Jazz to Pop by R&B, including cover songs of The Beatles (Day Tripper, Here, There & Everywhere), The Barkays (Soul Finger), The Temptations (My Girl), John Lee Hooker (Boom Boom) or Herbie Hancock (Watermelon Man). Titles include also two original compositions by Maeda (Snap Shot, Go Go A Go Go), Inagaki (Barock) and the killer track "Pata Pata" by Miriam Makeba. Norio Maeda was a pianist in charge of various experimental jazz projects (Super-Tri-Piano, Revolution), composer of background music for TV shows, films and animated series (Crusher Joe). He was also a sought-after arranger collaborating in particular with Helen Merrill, Takeshi Inomata, Akira Miyazawa, Martha Miyake, the Tokyo-Cuban Boys, Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd or Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos. He evolved within several jazz formations in groups The West Liners, The Third or with his Wind-Breakers.

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