Showing posts with label Kazuo Yashiro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kazuo Yashiro. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2020

Sadao Watanabe - Swing Journal Jazz Workshop 2 ~ Dedicated To Charlie Parker


Year : 1969 
Label : Nippon Columbia 
Serie : Takt Jazz Series 
Genre : Jazz 
Style : Bop, Post Bop

Recorded at Yamaha Hall, Tokyo, "Swing Journal Workshop 2" follows the first volume devoted to Terumasa Hino, previously released the same year from an idea by the most famous japanese jazz magazine. Performed by the legendary saxophonist, the tracks were caught during live session from 1969, played in quartet formation including Kazuo Yashiro (p), Masanaga Harada (b), Fumio Watanabe (ds) and in quintet featuring the great trumpeter Terumasa Hino. The album is tribute to Charlie Parker which contains the bop classics regurlarly performed by the jazz genius, in a modal variation including "Song For Bird", "Parker's Mood", Sadao's solo performance "I Can't Get Started", "If I Should Lose You" and "Au privave" feat. Terumasa Hino. "Swing Journal" was the most long-standing jazz magazine from the land of the rising sun and leader in the jazz culture diffusion in Japan since 1947. Indeed, the magazine played a key role in the jazz expansion in the country, contibuting to the popularity of renowned american musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Art Blakey or natives musicians like Sadao Watanabe, Terumasa Hino and Yosuke Yamashita. Similar to other famous jazz magazines as "Down Beat", "Swing Journal" was a reference in order to know japanese jazz essential albums, awarding best jazz albums every years in various cathegory.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Kazuo Yashiro Trio - Black Nag


Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Bossa Nova

"Black Nag" is an essential japanese jazz album, one of the most wanted "Takt Jazz Series" recorded by pianist Kazuo Yashiro and mixed by famous engineer Okihiko Sugano, the japanese Rudy Van Gelder. The album is a succession of various styles from Bossa Nova (Carolina, Favela) to Soul Jazz (Black Coffee, Georgia On My Mind) by Ragtime (Marionette Blues, Lady Madonna), including also pop variations (Love For Sale) and up-tempo (Favela) produced by the drums & bass duo, Masanaga Harada and the band leader of The Exciters, drummer Jimmy Takeuchi. The iconic title-track was selected in the "Shibuya Jazz Classics" & "Midnight Tokyo (Club Jazz Music)", two famous compilations, supervised by Sleep Walker & Konishi Yasuharu.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

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


Saturday, January 8, 2011

Yoshiaki Masuo And His Group - Winds Of Barcelona


Year : 1969
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz

Debut album in the Montgomery's style from the japanese boss of guitar featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Kazuo Yashiro, Larry Sunaga,  Yoshio Suzuki & Fumio Watanabe from the Takehiro Honda Trio. Influenced by Wes Montgomery and the Grant Green's works, Yoshiaki Masuo has been spotted by saxophonist Sadao Watanabe who launched his professional career in joining up his quartet from 1967. In the late sixties, he was enrolled in the Sharps & Flats by band leader Nobuo Hara and played for pianist Takehiro Honda on his debut album within Sadao Watanabe Quartet. In 1971, he moved to New York where he played for his fellow countryman bassist Teruo Nakamura, prestigious musicians like Lenny White, Michael Brecker, Chick Korea or Elvin Jones, and later in 1973 within the Sonny Rollins group. Titles include pop cover songs by Laura Nyro (Stoned Soul Picnic), Simon & Garfunkel (Scarborough Fair), Bacharach & David  (I Say A Little Prayer, What The World Needs Now Is Love), tribute to Wes Montgomery (One For Wes) and the Sadao's Bossa tune "Gary's Tune".

MUSICIANS : Yoshiaki Masuo & Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Hideo Miyata - flute - Yoshio Suzuki - bass - Fumio Watanabe - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussions - Kazuo Yashiro - organ - Nobuhiro Suzuki - vibraphone, marimba


Saturday, December 20, 2008

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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