Masaru Imada Trio + 2 - Green Caterpillar

Year : 1975
Label : TBM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz

Best known record of pianist Masaru Imada released on the legendary japanese jazz label TBM. "Green Caterpillar" is a jazz masterpiece featuring talented musicians including guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, bassist Isao Fukui (also called Isoo), drummer Tetsujiro Obara (members of Imada's main trio formation) and percussionist Yuji Imamura in addition. The album opens with a top of the groove "A Green Caterpillar", a 11 minute piece played in the jazz funk style including the iconic guitar play of Kazumi Watanabe. The other titles include "A Straight Flash", "Blue Impulse" and the flamenco tune "Spanish Flower" rather played in a modal style. All tracks composed and arranged by Masaru Imada.

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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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media, Tokyo Cuban Boys - Quad Dimension/Rock'N Latin

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

An umpteenth recording jazz rock session performed by Jiro inagaki & His Soul Media featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Takeshi Inomata, backed themselves by the most famous japanese Latin Big Band, the Tokyo Cuban Boys conducted by Tadaaki Misago. Arranged by famous jazz producer Takeo Ogawa, although less interesting than the "Head Rock" album, "Rock'N Latin" leaves however its mark by its originality, and remains a well-made jazz fusion album mixing rock 'n' roll with latin beats including acid organ and guitar distortion. Titles include killer variation of Latin jazz standard "Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock and various international pop/rock hits from The Beatles (Hey Jude) to Blood, Sweet And Tears (Spinning Wheel) by Fleetwood Mac (Black Magic Woman) & The Creedence (Proud Mary).

MUSICIANS : Tadaaki Misago - conductor - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Sadakazu Tabata - Smash In The Rock

Year : 1971

Label : Polydor

Genre : Jazz, Rock 'N' Roll

Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock

"Smash In The Rock" is a tribute to Rock 'N' Roll recorded by jazz & rock drummer Sadakazu Tabata. Introduced by the voice of Katsuya Kobayashi, a famous Japanese radio DJ (best known under the Mr. Music nickname), it includes various classic rock songs from Elvis Presley (Love Me Tender), Led Zeppelin (Moby Dick), blues standard by Freddie King (Hide Away) and originals compositions by Hiro Yanagida (Smash, His Salad Day's). Former member of the Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media, Sadakazu Tabata is a session musician who played in particular for japanese Blues/Folk Rock songstress Maki Asakawa and jazz pianist Masao Yagi. Sadakazu Tabata plays with the "Groovy 6" formed by the rock avant-garde organist, Hiro Yanagida, Masaru Imada from the Soul Media, Masaoki Terakawa (in groups George Otsuka Trio, The Count Buffalos, The Beat Generation) & Shigeo Suzuki (sideman for Terumasa Hino & Takeshi Inomata). 

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Masaru Imada Quartet - Now!

Year : 1970
Label : Three Blind Mice

Genre : Jazz

Style : Modal, Post Bop, Free Jazz

Essential Japanese Jazz album recorded on TBM, second as a leader by pianist Masaru Imada featuring saxophonist Ichiro Mimori, bassist Takashi 'Gon' Mizuhashi & drummer Masahiko Ozu. Masaru Imada is one of these Japanese Jazz masters who evolved in various "figurehead" groups of the Japanese Jazz, at the dawn of the 70s. Masaru played in groups Takeshi Inomata's West Liners (alongside Ichiro Mimori), Tadayuki Harada's group, Bingo Miki's Inner Galaxy Orchestra and was a former member of the iconic jazz rock band Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media. The bassist Takashi Mizuhashi was sideman for Sadao Watanabe, George Otsuka, Isao Suzuki, Terumasa Hino and also member of the legendary George Kawaguchi's Big 4 & Kosuke Mine Quintet. Titles include only original compositions arranged by Masaru Imada including Modal Jazz & free improvisations.

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Tadayuki Harada And His Group - Playboy's Theme

Year : 1968
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Pop

Debut album as a leader by saxophonist Tadayuki Harada featuring the complete formation of the West Liners lead by drummer Takeshi Inomata including Hiroshi Okazaki, Norio Maeda and Masaru Imada. Former member of several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as "Sharps & Flats" of Nobuo Hara and The West Liners (from 1957 to 1966), Tadayuki Harada was a session musician in demand, playing for the greatest among pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Helen Merrill, Sammy Davis Jr. or Salina Jones. In the late seventies, he was in groups "Wind Breakers" lead by pianist Norio Maeda and Takeshi Inomata & The Third. Titles include classics of Bossa Nova from Jorge Ben (Chove Chuva), Edu Lobo (For Me), pop covers from Bobby Hebb (Sunny), Burt Bacharach (The Look Of Love), and Jazz standard by Joe Zawinul (Mercy, Mercy, Mercy). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Hiroshi Okazaki - alto saxophone, flute - Ichiro Mimori & Yoichi Kanai - tenor saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi & Kazutoshi Okubo - trumpet - Tatsuro Takimoto - bass - Sadanori Nakamure_- guitar - Norio Maeda & Masaru Imada - piano - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Yonosuke Segami - percussion

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Jiro Inagaki + Soul Big Media - Jazz & Rock "Out"

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Big Band

[Jazz & Rock "Out"] is a recording live at Hibiya Amphitheater performed by an expanded group of the Soul Media band led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki. From the original quintet to form the Soul Big Media, a brass ensemble is added featuring Tadayuki Harada, Shigeo Suzuki, Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Imai among others. Titles include "The Ground For Peace", taken from the Head Rock album, an variation of the "Head Rock" song called "Yie-Pie", the jazz standard "Freedom Jazz Dance" of Eddie Harris, the traditionnal Negro Spiritual "Oh ! Happy Day", the massive hit from  Blood, Sweat And Tears, "Spinning Wheel", and the classic Soul cover from Talma Motown, "You've Made Me So Very Happy".

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Sadakazu Tabata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners - Liner Note

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Year : 1967
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban Jazz

"Liner Note" recorded in 1966, is the first original album by Takeshi Inomata released under the Takt Jazz Series of Nippon Columbia label. The West Liners lead by the legendary japanese drummer was originally formed as a sextet in 1957 with pianist/arranger Norio Maeda featuring Masaru Imada (p), bassist Tatsuro Takimoto (b), Sadanori Nakamure (g),  Shigeo Suzuki (as), Ichiro Mimori (ts) and Tetsuo Fushimi (tp). They were recruited as backing band by american songstress Helen Merrill when she was settle in Japan, recording "Helen Merrill In Tokyo" & "Sings Screen Favorites". Among others albums released by the band feature "Modern Top Hits" in 1965, come thereafter, "Paint It Black" in 1966,  "Come Together!" in 1969 and "My Way" in 1971. "Liner Note" is a blend of Jazz & Latin music including jazz standards of Miles Davis, George Gershwin & Herbie Hancock from Cool Jazz (All Blues), Modal (Freddie Freeloader, Cantaloupe Island) to Afro-Cuban Jazz (Afro-Blue), by Samba (La Grita) & Bossa Nova (Meditation, Panteno). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

The Soul Medium - Woodstock Generation

Year : 1970
Label : Union
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Behind "The Soul Medium" name hides saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, an iconic figure of the japanese Jazz Rock scene during the late sixties to the early seventies. Jiro is supported by his legendary quintet "Soul Media" under its first incarnation featuring Ryo Kawasaki (g) Yasuo Arakawa (b), Masaru Imada (org), Sadakazu Tabata (ds), with Tetsuo Fushimi & Shunzo Ohno on trumpet in addition. "Woodstock Generation" is a tribute album to the Woodstock Festival including songs performed on the stage by Sly & Family Stone (I Want To Take You Higher), The Who (Summertime Blues) or Ten Years After (Spoonful). Titles include also variations on the "Head Rock" theme, "The Ground For Peace" taken from his first album and original composition of Masahiko Sato "Knick Knack". All tracks arranged by Jiro Inagaki.

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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - Head Rock

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

"Head Rock" is an essential japanese jazz album, an iconic masterpiece recorded by the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, introducing his legendary first jazz quintet, the "Soul Media" featuring guitarist Ryo Kawasaki (his first professional appearance), Masaru Imada (org), Yasuo Arakawa (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp) and Sadakazu Tabata (ds). Recorded in 1969 for the famous Takt Jazz Series (the japanese 'Blue Note'), "Head Rock" includes all elements of psychedelic music (guitar fuzz effects, reverb, rock drum breaks and acid organ), cover songs from Hal Galper (The Vamp), Willie Dixon (amazing version of blues standard "Spoonful"), originals composed by Ryo Kawasaki (Twenty One), Masaru Imada (High Jack), Yasuo Arakawa (The Ground For Peace) and Jiro (Head Rock). Jiro Inagaki started in 1963, recruited by american jazz songstress Helen Merrill alongside the Takeshi Inomata's West Liners formation for the album "Helen Merrill In Tokyo". From the late sixties to the early seventies, he was one of the main actor of the Japanese Jazz Rock scene, before turn to Jazz Funk music.  

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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.