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

Shing02 - Wankyoku

Year : 2008
Label : Mary Joy Recordings
Genre : Hip-Hop, Reggae
Style : Conscious, World, Folk, Spoken Word

Hip-Hop masterpiece by japanese rapper and multi-instrumentist, settled in Oakland, Shing02 featuring saxophonist David Boyce (both from the jazz trio "Kosmic Renaissance"), jazz songstress Emi Meyer, shakuhachi player (bamboo flute) Philip Gelb, Kakushin Nishihara (biwa), Doc Max (keys), Junzo (eg), Motoki Yamaguchi (ds). "Wankyoku" (means distortion) is an instrumental Hip-Hop album which doesn't use any samples, mixing spoken words with poetry, avant-garde jazz, funk and pop with folk music including traditional japanese instruments (biwa & shakuhachi). Titles includes Jazz with Far-East folklore music (the "Bijou" suite), Pop-Folk ("Wankyoku" feat. Emi Meyer), J-Pop (Houyou), Heavy Funk (Katsubou), Reggae Dub (Saikou, Shousou, Chotsugai) and pure Wu Tang Clan's expressions (Kushi To Kanzashi, Jukou). Written, composed by Shingo Annen (Shing02), orchestrated by Vector Omega.