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).

Hozan Yamamoto With Sharps & Flats - Beautiful Bamboo Flute

Year : 2019/1971
Label : Mr Bongo/Philips
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Folk, World, Fusion

Recognized as a “living national treasure” by the Japanese government in 2002, Hozan Yamamoto was the best known shakuhachi player outside Japan. "Beautiful Bamboo Flute" is the fourth collaboration between Hozan Yamamoto and saxophonist Nobuo Hara within his famous big band, after two albums as Sharps & Flats ("Sharps & Flats In Newport" in 1967, "New Jazz In Japan" in 1968), and one under his own name ("New Dimension Of Bamboo Flute" in 1968). The album is result of a clever mix between japanese folk music (called "Min'yō") and Jazz including Jazz Rock, Soul Jazz & Big Band styles, featuring arranger Masahiko Sato, guitarist Takao Naoi from Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos. Impossible to find original album nowadays, it was finally reissued by Mr Bongo Records.

MUSICIANS : Hozan Yamamoto - bamboo flute - Nobuo Hara - tenor saxophone - Hajime Maekawa, Koji Suzuki - alto saxophone - Nobuyuki Morikawa - baritone saxophone - Masahiro Nakajima, Tadao Taniyama - trombone - Hiroshi Saba, Shuzo Morikawa - trumpet - Sadayasu Fujii - piano - Hiroshi Takeuchi - bass - Takao Naoi - guitar - Yoshio Nakamura - drums

Masahiko Sato - Kanashimi No Belladonna (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 2015/1975
Label : Finders Keepers/Cinevox
Genre : Soundtrack, Stage & Screen, Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock

Kanashimi No Belladonna (Belladonna Of Sadness) is the final act in the Animerama trilogy, a kind of "pink" film serie conceived by Osamu Tezuka which includes Senya Ichiya Monogatari (A Thousand And One Nights - 1969) & Kureopatora (Cleopatra - 1970). Produced by the Japanese animation studio Mushi Production, directed by Eiichi Yamamoto, Belladona is based on the book "La Sorcière" (The Witch), a story written in 1862 by French historian Jules Michelet. The music was entirely composed by the most-avant garde japanese jazz pianist, Masahiko Sato, recorded at Aoi studio in 1972 with probably a part of Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd ensemble, featuring his wife Chinatsu Nakayama on vocals. Only one EP was released in Japan in 1973 (including singles "Kanashimi No Belladonna" & "Jeanne No Namida", performed by japanese songtress, Mayumi Tachibana), but two years later, the soundtrack finally comes in Europe thanks to Italian label Cinevox, and now reissued by Finders Keepers Records. Sato created for Belladona, an atmosphere of certain deep melancholy, a free jazz/progressive rock score in the same wayof his "Amalgamation" 1971 project mixing psychedelic jazz with orchestral music incorporating experimental sounds, suspense & action music elements. Titles includes all Sato's compositions for the film, except "Belladonna (Reprise)", "Jeanne No Namida" & the main love theme written by Asei Kobayashi and sung by Mayumi Tachibana.

Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - Wandering Birds

Year : 1971

Label : Nippon Columbia

Serie : Master Sonic Series

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock

The Soul Media led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki featuring rock songstress Sammy and special guest pianist Masahiko Sato, supported by a heavy horn section, in another japanese Jazz Rock act, including progressive rock and pyschedelic music. "Wandering Birds" expands the group with the introduction of new members, iconic actors of the japanese progessive and experimental rock scene from the seventies, guitarists Kimio Mizutani (in groups Sound Limited, The Beat Generation) & organist Hiro Yanagida (Shinki Chen & His Friends, April Fool). Titles include "Wandering Birds" feat. Sammy, the psychedelic trip "Parajika" & the funky track "On The Grass" both feat. Masahiko Sato.

MUSICIANS : Sammy & Sawada Yasushi - vocal - Jiro Inagaki - tenor & soprano saxophone, flute - Tsunehide Matsuki & Kimio Mizutani - guitar - Masahiko Sato - moog synthesizer - Hiro Yanagida - organ - Hideaki Takebe - bass - Kiyoshi Tanaka - drums

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Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill Sings The Beatles

Year : 1970
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

Settled in Japan from 1966 to 1972, Helen Merrill recorded various albums whose this "Helen Merrill Sings The Beatles", her only one jazz rock album including japanese musicians among pianist Masahiko Sato, bassist Yasuo Arakawa, drummer Takeshi Inomata, The Singers Three (backing vocal) & others. Often compared to Billie Holiday for his voice, Helen Merrill is the last great lady of jazz still alive. Admired in Japan, she was among the first western artist to sing in the japanese tongue. Since 1954, she has recorded over 40 albums whose seven of which with various japanese musicians including Hozan Yamamoto ("Sings Folk" in 1963), Sadao Watanabe ("Bossa Nova In Tokyo" in 1967), Motohiko Hino ("Sposin'" in 1971) or Akira Miyazawa ("Plaisir d'Amour" in 1969). All tracks arranged by Masahiko Satoh.

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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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M. Sato + J. Inagaki & His Big Soul Media - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock

Masahiko Sato started as professional musician in the sixties joining the Masaaki Fujita Quintet  and  the Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd Big Band, before to enter in the Berklee College of Music in order to become arranger. From 1968 to 1971, he formed his most famous jazz combo, the Masahiko Sato Trio with the bassist Yasuo Arakawa & drummer Masahiko Togashi (the trio won the Japan Jazz Award in 1970, in the best debut album category for "Palladium"). Prolific pianist, Masahiko Sato has left his indelible mark on the japanese jazz history, with various experimental iconic projects ("Amalgamation", "Tri-Piano" with Norio Maeda), Free Jazz albums such as "Holography" or "Astorama" (with french violinist Jean-Luc Ponty) and soundtracks as "Belladonna" for Tezuka Productions. "Astorama", recorded in 1970, opens the way to his future international collaborations, as composer & arranger, in considerable recordings from Nancy Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Gary Peacock, Art Farmer, Hank Jones passing by his fellow countryman Yohsuke Yamashita. Satoh enrolled the Jazz Rock band "Soul Media", in joint project with Jiro Inagaki featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Yasuo Arakawa plus Tadayuki Harada, Shunzo Ohno & Takeshi Inomata from the Sound limited. Titles include the killer groove "Sniper's Snooze", the psychedelic soul tune "Love & Peace", the pop ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" from Simon & Garfunkel & the bluesy "Somethin Goin On" from Al Kooper. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Sato.

MUSICIANS : Masahiko Sato - piano & electric piano - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Takeshi Inomata & Hajime Ishimatsu - drums - Seiji Tanaka - percussion

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Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band - Soul & Rock

Year : 1969
Label : Denon
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Modal

Free Jazz Rock album including cover songs and original compositions recorded by the Count Buffalo band, pioneer of the Japanese Jazz Rock style featuring jazz giant pianist/arranger Masahiko Satō. The second album of Akira Ishikawa under the Count Buffalo nickname, who was actives since the mid-fifties as prolific percussionist and most famous jazz drummer with Motohiko Hino, Takeshi Inomata & George Kawaguchi. Titles include free forms of Jazz & psychedelic rock from The Beatles (Michelle, Hey Jude), the Motown's iconic song "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" which was performed by The Supremes, The Temptations & Stevie Wonder, the negro spiritual "Deep River", two compositions of Masahiko Satō "The Cougar" & "No More Than A Drop". All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki & Masahiko Satō.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Masahiko Satō - piano - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Takeru Muraoka - saxophone

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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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Akira Ishikawa Trio & R&B All Stars - Soul Session Jazz Goes R&B

Year : 1969

Label : Philips
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul

"Soul Session" is a crossover jazz album recorded by the Akira Ishikawa Trio featuring bassist Masaoki Terakawa and pianist Masahiko Sato, themselves supported by the R&B All Stars including Kiyoshi Sugimoto and Hiromasa Suzuki. Akira Ishikawa takes over some famous massive hits of the western pop music (I Say A Little Prayer, Day Tripper), Funk and R&B standards coming from the kings & queens of Soul such as Otis Redding (...The Dock Of The Bay), Eddie Floyd (Knock On Wood), Sam&Dave (Hold On, I'm Comin') or Aretha Franklin (Chain Of Fools). "Day Tripper", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" & "Sunny" are exclusively performed by the Akira Ishikawa Trio. All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki, Masahiko Sato & Kunihiko Murai.

   

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Masahiko Sato - piano, electric piano - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Tetsuo Fushimi & Koji Hatori - trumpet

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Shungo Sawada And All Stars - Fool On The Hill

Year : 1969

Label : Victor

Genre : Jazz

Style : Contemporary Jazz

Influenced by the Wes Montgomery style, Shungo Sawada was one of the main actors of the japanese Bossa Nova Boom and who contributed also to the modern jazz guitar expansion in Japan. "Fool On The Hill" is an essential japanese jazz album and a masterpiece of jazz guitar including Modal, Soul Jazz (Chattanooga Choo Choo) and some Free improvistions (Fool On The Hill). Formed in quintet featuring Norio Maeda (p, org), Masahiko Sato (p), Yasuo Arakawa (b) & Takeshi Inomata (ds), the All Stars are supported by a big band as on the great Wes Montgomery's albums released in the sixties. Titles include the great jazz standards, "The Look Of Love", "Satin Doll", "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise", "You And The Night And The Music". All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda & Masahiko Sato.

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Electro Keyboard Orchestra - Electro Keyboard Orchestra

Year : 1975
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Electronic
Style : Space Age, Fusion, Jazz Funk

"Electro Keyboard Orchestra" is a concept album of  "Space Age" Jazz based on the KORG synthesizer 700S & 800DV keyboards, highlighting electronic overtones (as evindenced "The African Dawn" composed by Masahiko Sato), featuring eight renowned japanese, supported by a rhythm section including guitarist Ken Yajima, bassist Akira Okazawa and drummer Shuichi 'Ponta' Murakami. The eight keyboardists consist of Yuji Ohno from the original Terumasa Hino Quartet (best known for the "Captain Future" & "Lupin The 3rd" soundtracks), the arranger Hiromasa Suzuki (member of Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalo Rock Band), Kentaro Haneda ("Space Adventure Cobra" OST), Masahiko Sato (in groups The Soundbreakers, Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd), Hideo Ichikawa (The Beat Generation, George Kawaguchi's The Big 4, Kosuke Mine Quintet and George Otsuka Trio), but also Masao Yagi, Shigeto O'Hara and Sadayasu Fujii. The whole album reminds the Herbie Hancock's jazz funk style (in particular "The Heated Point" composed by Hiromasa Suzuki) including variations on "Ritual Fire Dance" (composition of Manuel De Falla, arranged by Masao Yagi), "The Iron Side" of Quincy Jones (arr. Hiromasa Suzuki), "Mother of Future" composed by Carlos Garnett (arr. Masahiko Sato). Titles include also others compositions by Yuji Ohno (The Soaring Seagull, Mayflower) and Masao Yagi (Farewell, Onoda).

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