Toshiaki Yokota & The Beat Generation - Elévation

 

Year : 2019/1970

Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Express
Serie : Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock, Soul Jazz, Psychedelic Rock

The first master stroke of The Beat Generation, lead by the iconic japanese flutist Toshiaki Yokota from the Takeshi Inomata's  Sound Limited and Love Live Life. Arranged by the japanese jazz master Masahiko Satoh, it features Takeshi Inomata (ds), Hideo Ichikawa (keys), Jun Suzuki (eb), Sadanori Nakamure (eg) & Larry Sunaga (perc), all supported by strings ensemble. Unlike their following album, the experimental "Flute Adventure" released the next year, "Elévation" is more a mainstream record to the baroque pop occured by the Ichikawa's harpsichord play and chamber music (Easy To Be Hard), soul jazz (What'd I Say) and psychedelic pop styles (And When I Die). Titles include also compositions by Toshiaki Yokota (Elevation pt1&2, On The Road), Takeshi Inomata (Curved Navel) & Hideo Ichikawa (How Long Have I Been Waiting For You).

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Innocent Cannon

Year : 1971
Label : King Records
Genre : Jazz
Serie : New Emotional Series
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock, Art-Rock

Concept art-rock album by Takeshi Inomata & his progressive jazz rock group, The Sound Limited featuring trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, guitarist Kimio Mizutani, flutist Toshiaki Yokota from The Beat Generation and special guest, the mystical narrator, japanese photographer Noriaki 'Tenmei' Kannoh. Titles include tribute to Janis Joplin "The Death of Janis", free forms of Rock, experimental sounds and Psychedelia. All tracks composed & arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

MUSICIANS : Tenmei Kano - narrator - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Jun Suzuki - bass - Kimio Mizutani - guitar, sitar - Shigehito Ohara - keyboards - Osamu Nakajima - percussion - Toshiaki Yokota - flutes - Jake H. Concepcion - soprano, alto & tenor saxophone, flute - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet, flugelhorn - Takehisa Suzuki - trumpet, flugelhorn - Shigemichi Domoto - trombone, vibraphone

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Minoru Muraoka - Bamboo

Year : 2014/1970
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.

Hiroshi Suzuki=Masahiko Togashi Quintet - Variation

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde

Essential jazz album among the influences of the future-jazz quartet Sleep Walker by trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. "Variation" is a joint project including the legendary jazz drummer Masahiko Togashi featuring pianist Yuji Ohno, saxophonist Jun Suzuki and trumpeter Tetsuo Fushimi. Masahiko Togashi was a major figure alongside Masahiko Sato, Masayuki Takayanagi and Yosuke Yamashita in the blooming of free jazz in Japan in the late sixties whose "Variation" is one of the iconic masterpiece. Masahiko Togashi started in 1957, when he joined the Sadao Watanabe Quartet, which will bring him to play for various legends of Jazz as pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, Helen Merrill, Masayuki Takayanagi, Yosuke Yamashita or Charlie Mariano and also in jazz big bands such as the famous Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd. He recorded various free jazz sessions in 1969, with the Masahiko Sato Trio, several solo projects (the first "We Now Create"), and the same year, formed his best known quintet, the J.J. Spirits. Titles include "Castle Cats" selected in the  "Shibuya Jazz Classics - Sleep Walker Collection", compilation released in 2003.

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Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Drum Battle : Rock Now

Year : 1972
Label : RCA
Serie : DYNAGROOVE
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Rock cover album taken from the "DYNAGROOVE" serie, performed by Takeshi Inomata & his progresssive jazz rock band, The Sound Limited featuring guitarist Kimio Mizutani, bassist Makoto 'Jun' Suzuki, organist Yusuke Hoguchi, all conducted by Norio Maeda. Takeshi Inomata is involved in a drums battle including three others japanese drummers, Masao Suzuki (not to be confused with the saxophonist), Seiji Tanaka & Chito Kawachi. Titles include as well as classics of rock 'n' roll from Deep Purple (Black Night), Chase (Get It On), The Rolling Stones (Tumbling Dice), Soul music ("Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes) and Latin Rock with the "Black Magic Woman" (Peter Green). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

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Norio Maeda - Revolution

Year : 1972
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Experimental, Avant-Garde

The meeting between avant-garde jazz and baroque music that showcases the use of pipe organ. As the French pianist Jacques Loussier who brings together Jazz and Classical music in his famous "Play Bach" serie, Norio Maeda was also inspired by the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. As the title suggests, "Revolution" it's a experimental project based on the repertoire of the great composer, in addition to various soundcapes like urban traffic, race car noises or organic sound samples extracted from natural environment (like birds). Titles include six interpretations of famous original Bach's compositions (Fugues I, XII, XXII & Preludes I, II, XXIV), but also the latin jazz track "Bossa Bossa Nova", the soul jazz "Cool Drive" & "In A State Of Nature" and the final "Unchikipar", an experimental scat including onomatopoeia performance by Maeda & his stooges. All tracks arranged and conducted by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Norio Maeda - piano, organ, pipe organ, vocal - Teruyuki Fukushima - trumpet, flugelhorn - Makoto 'Jun' Suzuki - bass - Sadanori Nakamure - guitar - Takeshi Inomata - drums

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Mr Drum & The Sound Machine - Mr Drum Lowdown

Year : 1971

Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Under the pseudonym of "Mr. Drum & The Sound Machine", hides the famous japanese drummer Takeshi Inomata and his Sound Limited featuring Norio Maeda, Kimio Mizutani & Shunzo Ohno. "Mr Drum Lowdown" is a progressive jazz rock album including covers following the previous Inomata's works recorded during the early seventies. Titles includes several timeless classics of Pop & Soul Music among "Brown Sugar" (The Rolling Stones), "It's Don't Come Easy" (Ringo Starr), "Rainy Days & Mondays" (The Carpenters), "Never Can Say Goodbye" (The Jackson 5), "Want Ads" (Honey Cone). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Norio Maeda - organ, piano - Yasuo Arakawa & Jun Suzuki - bass - Sadanori Nakamure & Kimio Mizutani - guitar - Jake H Concepcion - alto saxophone - Shunzo Ohno & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Osamu Nakajima - percussion

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Takeshi Inomata & Sound L.T.D. - Sounds Of Sound L.T.D.

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

"Sounds Of Sound L.T.D." is an iconic album out from the Japanese Jazz Rock scene including psychedelic grooves (Mustache), heavy funk breaks (Joint), melodic jazz (Monster) & progressive rock (Tak's Tune). Takeshi Inomata introduced here "The Sound Limited", his regular group during the seventies, featuring the legendary guitarist Ryo Kawasaki, flutist Toshiaki Yokota and trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, barely in his 19 year. In the early sixties, Takeshi Inomata was enrolled in the Hidehiko Matsumoto Quintet and was a regular sideman of jazz pianist Norio Maeda, also within groups Norio Maeda Trio, The Wind-Breakers & The Third. During the sixties, he participated on most japanese recordings of jazz songstress Helen Merrill (such as "In Tokyo", "Plaisir D'amour" or "Sings The Beatles"), formed his best known jazz formation "The West Liners" and evolved within the Mal Waldron Trio. 

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Jun Suzuki - bass - Ryo Kawasaki & Shigenori Kamiya - guitar - Yusuke Hoguchi - organ - Toshiaki Yokota - flute - Takao Uematsu - saxophone - Shunzo Ohno & Takashi Kumagai - trumpet - Shigemichi Domoto & Takashi Imai - trombone

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Okihiko Sugano - Session : Sounds By Okihiko Sugano

Year : 1972
Label : Yamaha
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contemporary Jazz, Post-Bop

First volume of three disc series dedicated to the Yamaha's keyboards (here accoustic piano), a project created by Okihiko Sugano (brother of pianist Kunihiko Sugano), a famous japanese sound engineer and jazz arranger. The "Session" is conducted by Okihiko Sugano featuring some renowned japanese musicians among Takeshi Inomata, Yuzuru Sera, Kazuo Yashiro or Hiroshi Okazaki plus american drummer Buffalo Bill Robinson. Titles include as well as New Orleans style (St. James Infirmary, My Ideal), Latin beat (A Dialogue Of Drums And Latin Percussion), Modal with free forms of rhythms (Miracle) & Cool Jazz (Stardust, Days Of Wine And Roses, That Old Feeling). All tracks arranged by Okihiko Sugano.

MUSICIANS : Yuzuru Sera & Kazuo Yashiro - piano - Harada Masanaga - bass - Jun Suzuki - electric bass - Hiroshi Okazaki - tenor & alto saxophone - Mitsui Akio - trumpet - Eiji Kitamura - clarinet - Ichiro Masuda - vibraphone - Buffalo Bill Robinson, Hiroshi Sunaga & Takeshi Inomata - drums

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