Sadao Watanabe - California Shower

Year : 1978

Label : Flying Disk

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

Recorded at the famous Record Plant studios in Los Angeles, "California Shower" is the best Sadao's album from his Jazz Funk period including Smooth Jazz, African & Caribbean music. It's the second of four discs serie from 1977 to 1981, arranged by keyboardist Dave Grusin featuring american top fusion musicians among Lee Ritenour, Chuck Rainey, Harvey Mason or George Bohanon. Titles include the original reggae tune "California Shower", "Duo-Creatics" composed by Dave Grusin and the Afro-Jazz-Funk "Ngoma Party". All tracks arranged by Dave Grusin. 

MUSICIANS : Sadao Watanabe - alto saxophone, sopranino, flute - Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone - Oscar Brashear - trumpet - George Bohanon - trombone - Dave Grusin - keyboards - Lee Ritenour - guitar - Chuck Rainey - bass - Harvey Mason - drums - Paulinho Da Costa - percussion, congas 

LISTEN SAMPLE

Oliver Nelson - Skull Session

Year : 1975

Label : Flying Dutchman
Genre : Jazz
Style : Fusion, Big Band, Electronic Moods, Soul Jazz, Post Bop

"Skull Session" is an amazing eclectic album of saxophonist and arranger Oliver Nelson who borrows various styles as well as Bossa Nova, Electronic, Jazz Funk, Soul and Contempory Jazz. Entirely composed by Oliver Nelson, the album features Lonnie Liston Smith (keys), Willie Bobo (per), Lee Ritenour (eg),  Buddy Collette & Bill Perkins (sax) evolving in big brass band. Titles include the electronic groove "Skull Session", the Oliver Nelson standard "125th St. And 7th Ave." and the funky tracks "Dumpy Mama" & "Flight For Freedom". All tracks composed, conducted and arranged by Oliver Nelson, produced by Bob Thiele.

Harvey Mason - Marching In The Street

Year : 1975

Label : Arista

Genre : Jazz, Soul

Style : Jazz Funk

Debut album solo of american studio jazz drummer, Harvey Mason. He collaborated with many jazz and fusion musicians such as George Benson or The Brecker Brothers, almost present in all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd or Bobbi Humphrey and played for several japanese artists as Hiroshi Fukumura on Hunt Up Wind (1978). He best known as in group The Headhunters and sideman for Herbie Hancock on Head Hunters (1973), Man-Child (1975), Mr. Hands (1980). Titles include featurings with guests musicians as Melvin 'Wah Wah' Ragin (guitar & talkbox on Fair Thee Well), Hubert Laws (flute on Modaji) George Bohannon (trombone on Hop Scotch) and Blue Mitchell (solo trumpet on Marching In The Street). All tracks composed by Harvey Mason except Modaji by Dave Grusin and Wild Rice by Lee Ritenour. Arranged & produced by Harvey Mason.

Harvey Mason_drums, vocal

Chuck Rainey & Paul Jackson_bass

Lee Ritenour_guitar

Herbie Hancock & Dave Grusin_keyboards

Oscar Brashear & Bobby Bryant_trumpet

Ernie Watts & Bennie Maupin_saxophone

01. Marching In The Street

02. Modaji

03. Hop Scotch

04. Wild Rice

05. Ballad For Heather

06. Fair Thee Well

07. Building Love