Kosuke Ichihara & 3 L - Now Sound '75

Year : 2017/1975
Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Victor
Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Fusion, Folk

Last testimony of Love Live Life (also known as 3L), japanese psychedelic jazz rock band born in full expansion of the japanese new rock era initiated by the Flower Travellin' Band (himself influenced by the Woodstock generation). Love Live Life's frontman Kosuke Ichihara is a japanese saxophonist, composer and arranger who evolved in famous Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd big band, in groups Tokyo Ensemble Academy, Takayuki Inoue Band, Masami Kawahara & The Exotic Sounds, was sideman for japanese jazz songstress Maki Asakawa, Mari Nakamoto and played alongside pianist Masahiko Satoh or drummer Jimmy Takeuchi. Among  japanese works mixing Jazz, Rock with popular folk songs from different parts of Japan (Okinawa to Hokkaido), "Now Sound '75" is one of the finest production of the genre, including deep grooves, catchy bass line, synthesizer sounds floating, soundscapes with cinematographic atmosphere and oriental melodies, all played in a psychedelic mood. 

LOVE LIVE LIFE : Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone, flute - Toshiaki Yokota - flute, saxophone - HiroYanagida - piano, organ - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Kimio Mizutani, Takao Naoi - guitar - Chito Kawachi - drums - Naomi Kawahara - percussion

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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New Herd - Perspective

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Modern Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style :  Big Band, Modal, Jazz-Rock, Avant-garde

Also presented as Masahiko Sato's work in co-leading alongside saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama, "Perspective" is an essential album to the forefront of Japanese music, a masterpiece representative of the best japanese jazz productions recorded during the late sixties. The title-track is an original avant-garde composition including free improvisations, written and arranged by Masahiko Sato. "Lazy Lazy" is composed & arranged by pianist Norio Maeda on the modal form with Jazz Rock. Yamaki Kozaburo has composed, meanwhile, the "Furisode Girl", based on far east folklore played also in modal. Titles include also iconic Charlie Mingus' piece "Pithecanthropus Erectus", cover song of The Beatles, "Tomorrows Never Knows" played in the jazz rock style and "Africa" by John Coltrane.

MUSICIANS : Toshiyuki Miyama - leading, alto & soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Takami - alto saxophone - Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone - Shunzo Sunahara - baritone saxophone - Kōji Hatori - trumpet - Seiichi Tokura - trombone - Masahiko Sato & Norio Maeda - piano - Kōzaburō Yamaki - guitar - Masao Kunisada - bass - Sadaichi Tabata - drums

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Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd - Your Best Pops 12

Year : 1969
Label : Crown
Genre : Jazz
Style : Pop, Jazz Rock, Big Band

Toshiyuki Miyama revisists the greatest hits of western pop music in big band mode including The Beatles (Get Back), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Proud Mary), Marie Laforêt (Manchester Et Liverpool), The Zombies (Time of the Season) or The Doors (Touch Me). Toshiyuki Miyama is one of the greatest japanese jazz saxophonist/clarinetist, arranger, bandleader, who recorded over 70 albums, composed and produced various music materials for radio, cinema and television. In 1958, he formed his first "New Herd", one of the most prominent big band in the Japanese Jazz history, a talent nursery where were formed many iconic young musicians (including saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara or pianists Norio Maeda, Masahiko Sato), and which known an international recognition. Among his musical feats, The New Herd played for Charlie Mingus (Charles Mingus With Orchestra - 1971), took part to the Monterey Jazz festival in 1974 and supported Nancy Wilson on stage in Japan. All tracks conducted & arranged by Toshiyuki Miyama.

MUSICIANS : Toshiyuki Miyama - alto & soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Takami - alto saxophone - Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone - Shunzo Sunahara - baritone saxophone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Seiichi Tokura - trombone - Masahiko Sato & Norio Maeda - piano - Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar - Masao Kunisada - bass - Sadaichi Tabata - drums

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Love Live Life + One - Love Will Make A Better You

Year : 1971
Label : King Records
Serie : New Emotional Work Series
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock

"Love Live Life + One" was a japanese progressive rock band including Jazz, Funk & Soul elements, lead by the saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara featuring the frontman Akira Fusé, an iconic japanese actor and singer. "Love Live Life" (also known as "3L") is formed by prestigious members of various famous jazz rock groups as The Beat Generation, The Sound Limited or Count Buffalos among Toshiaki Yokota (fl), Masaoki Terakawa (eb), Takao Naoi (eg), rock avant-garde musicians Kimio Mizutani (eg), Hiro Yanagida (org), supported by Chito Kawachi (ds) & Naomi Kawahara (perc). Between 1971 and 1975, the band released four others albums between 1971 and 1975, whose the last act is "Now Sound '75" dedicated to the Min'yō, the japanese folk music genre. "Love Will Make A Better You" includes experimental art-rock suite "The Question Mark", the insane hard rock piece with the Fusé's evil screams "Love Will Make A Better You", the psychedelic groove "Running Free", "Shadow Of The Mind" and the heavy blues rock "Facts About It All". All tracks composed & arranged by Kosuke Ichihara