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

Jun Fukamachi - Spiral Steps

Year : 1976
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Space Age
   

"Spiral Steps" is a Space-Age Funk & Future Jazz album featuring the Breckers Brothers and the KORG synthesizer in showcase. Recorded for the first time outside Japan, it's divided in two recordings sessions, Tokyo & New York, including japanesese musicians among his regular sidemen Ray Ohara & Ponta Murakami, Akira Okazawa, Kazumi Watanabe, Anthony Jackson, Barry Rogers, Lou Marini from Blood, Sweat And Tears plus Jake H Conception as guest. Titles include the disco-boogie "In The Holiday Groove" feat. Jake H. Conception & "Taft 1082", the insane heavy funk "Spiral Steps" and the highlight suite for synthesizer "Scoto Phonobine Type I to III". All tracks composed & arranged by Jun Fukamachi.

MUSICIANS : Jun Fukamachi - keyboards - Shuici Ponta Murakami - drums - Akira Okazawa, Ray Ohara & Anthony Jackson - bass - Masayoshi Takanaka, Kazumi Watanabe - guitar - Randy Brecker - trumpet - Barry Rogers - trombone - Jake H.Conception, Michael Brecker & Lou Marini - tenor saxophone 

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Jun Fukamachi - Triangle Session

Year : 1977
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Space-Age, Electronic

"Triangle Session" is a live recording from amazing performance at Tokyo Seibu Theater in 1977 featuring keyboardist Jun Fukamachi & his KORG synthesizer. "Triangle Session" is the meeting between iconic japanese master of the electronic Jazz-Funk and The Brecker Brothers including US-Japan musicians such as trombonist Barry Rogers and guitarist Kenji Omura. Titles include two tracks extracted from "Second Phase" album released in 1977 (Stick Freighter, Plastic Echelon), an insane electro-funk version in up-tempo of "Perfidy" (from "Introducing Jun Fukamachi", 1974), an extended version of "Hateruma" (from "Rokuyu", 1975) and "Funky Sea, Funky Dew" composed by Michael Brecker.

MUSICIANS : Jun Fukamachi - keyboards - Michael Brecker - saxophone - Randy Brecker - trumpet - Barry Rogers - trombone - Kenji Takamizu - bass - Kenji Omura - guitar - Martin Willweber - drums - Motoya Hamaguchi & Pecker - percussions

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Jun Fukamachi - Introducing Jun Fukamachi

Year : 1975
Label : Toshiba
Serie : Pro Use Direct Cutting Series
Genre : Jazz, Electronic
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Space-Age

"Introducing Jun Fukamachi" is a jazz funk album that showcases the Moog synthesizer featuring Rei Ohara (eb), Kenji Omura (eg), Ponta Murakami (ds) & Motoya Hamaguchi (perc). Jun Fukamachi is a japanese Jazz Fusion pianist, composer and pioneer of the synthesizer play. Indeed, mostly known for his use of various keyboards, Jun produces a particular atmosphere which seems "straight out from the future", a mix of electronic sounds tinted by heavy funk and electro-disco, his major signature during the seventies. In the late seventies, he invited the Brecker Brothers plus others american Jazz Fusion renowned musicians such as Lee Ritenour, Steve Gadd or Dave Sandborn to collaborate with him on several iconic albums and lives. Titles include two variations on "Evening Star" from the Wagner's Tannhäuser opera, "La Fille Aux cheveux De Lin" of Claude Debussy, original compositions by Kenji Omura (the stunning "Bamboo Bong"), the killer funk "Noah's Ark" & "Perfidy" by Fukamachi. All tracks arranged & conducted by Jun Fukamachi.

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