Count Buffalos - Emergency

Year : 1976
Label : Toshiba
Serie : Pro-Use Direct Cutting Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

"Emergency" is a jazz funk album recorded by drummer Akira Ishikawa featuring his Count Buffalos band and the japanese Funk/Soul songstress Tan-Tan. As on "Get Up!", his previous album, "Emergency" was arranged by pianist Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki & guitarist Takao Naoi, incorporating some disco-beats and including the same line-up with saxophonist Takeru Muraoka and keyboardist Hideo Ichikawa, among others. Hiromasa Suzuki composed the opening disco-funk "Yama-To-Mizu", while others titles include the "Drum Solo" performed by Akira Ishikawa, cover songs featuring Tan-Tan ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" by James Taylor, "I've Never Found A Man" in the pure disco style by Esther Phillips) and the Galper Hal's "Phases".

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki & Hideo Ichikawa - keyboards - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Takao Naoi - guitar - Larry Sunaga - percussion - Takeru Muraoka & Masao Suzuki - saxophones - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Eji Arai - trombone

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Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffalos - Get Up!

Year : 1975
Label : RCA
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

The Jazz Funk masterpiece of Akira Ishikawa, a joint project with his fellow arranger Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki, featuring his Count Buffalos backing band. With "Get Up!", Akira Ishikawa left Jazz Rock to dive in Jazz Funk enrolling new members among guitarist Takao Naoi, trombonist Eji Arai and trumpeter Koji Hatori. Composed and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki, the album includes the two heavy funk "The Heated Point" & "Painted Paradise", originally recorded in 1974 for the "Electro Keyboard Orchestra" project & "Funky Stuff" album of saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, the cosmic Soul ballads "Discharge" & "Stone River", the up-tempo "Get Up!" and "Minor Jump".

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano, syntheziser - Hideo Ichikawa - electric piano - Takeru Muraoka - tenor & soprano saxophone, flute - Masao Suzuki - alto & soprano saxophone, flute - Takao Naoi - electric guitar - Masaoki Terakawa - electric bass - Eji Arai - trombone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Larry Sunaga - percussion

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Akira Ishikawa - Back To Rhythm

Year : 1975
Label : Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Afrobeat

"Back To Rhythm" is a covers album of Pop & Soul music including heavy funk and afrobeat, which closes the african period of Akira Ishikawa, supported by his fabulous Count Buffalos group featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takeru Muraoka, Larry Sunaga and pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki. Akira Ishikawa leaves the Afro-Rock to get into Boogie Funk, taking over some Funk/Soul classics of the genre from BT' Express (Do It Til You're Satisfied), Stevie Wonder (Boogie On Reggae Woman) or Average White Band (Pick Up The Pieces), and cover pop songs from The Beatles (Hey Jude) and Simon & Garfunkel (El Condor Pasa), "I Shot The Sheriff" from Eric Clapton's version, "Bongo Rock" (Incredible Bongo Band) and "Let's Start" (Fela Kuti). All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums, vocals, african percussions - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takao Naoi & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Hiromasa Suzuki - synthetizer - Takeru Muraoka & Masao Suzuki - saxophones - Eiji Arai - trombone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Larry Sunaga - percussions

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Bingo Miki And Inner Galaxy Orchestra - Back To The Sea

 

Year : 1978

Label : Three Blind Mice

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Contempory Jazz

"Back To The Sea" is a project to the cinematographic concept including Jazz Funk & Contempory Jazz created by band leader, arranger and composer Bingo Miki. Recorded on the iconic label TBM (Three Blind Mice), the japanese counterpart of CTI records, the tracks are performed by an extended big band based on 28 musicians together in three sections : brass, reeds & rhythm. It features Hidehiko Matsumoto (fl, ts), Masao Suzuki (as, ts, cl), Masaru Imada (p), Mitsuaki Furuno (eb), Yoshiyuki Nakamura (ds) and jazz songstress Mari Nakamoto who lends her voice on "Back To The Sea (Epilogue)". All arranged, composed and conducted by Bingo Miki.