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).

Antonio Carlos & Jocafi - Mudei De Idéia

Year : 1971
Label : RCA
Genre : Latin, MPB
Style : Psychedelic Rock, Samba, Funk/Soul

Fantastic debut album of the brazilian duet formed in 1969 by Antônio Carlos Marques Pinto (Antonio Carlos) and José Carlos Figueiredo (Jocafi) including heavy grooves, fuzz guitar and samba beats, featuring arranger Rogerio Duprat and jazz guitarist Lanny Gordin wo played for Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil among others. Antonio Carlos & Jocafi is one of the most famous Brazilian writing duo who worked for Wilson Simonal, Trio Mocotó, Milton Banana or Toquinho. From 1971 to 1996, they have recorded 13 albums, composed many soundtracks for brazilian telenovelas during the seventies, and other popular songs as "Vocé Abusou" or "Kabaluerê" (sampled by brazilian rapper Marcelo D2 on "Qual é?" in 2002). "Vocé Abusou" was a big success when it was sung by Maria Creuza and in France, with its cover "Fais Comme l'Oiseau" by Michel Fugain & Le Big Bazar released in 1972. Titles include also psychedelic rock songs in accordance with the Tropicalià movement (Se Quiser Valer, Quem Vem Lá...), samba (Conceição Da Praia, Morte Do Amor...) and beautiful pop ballads (Hipnose, Bonita).

Norio Maeda & All Stars - Rock Communication "Yagi Bushi"

Year : 2017/1970
Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Teichiku Records

Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl

Genre : Jazz, Folk

Style : Fusion, Jazz Rock

"Rock Communication" is a concept fusion album by the piano master of japanese avant-garde (check his album "Revolution") featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Kaoru Iiyoshi & Takeshi Inomata. As similar projects of drummer Akira Ishikawa, "Drum Yagibushi Drum" or saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara's "Now Sound '75" albums Norio Maeda revisits some popular standards of the japanese folk repertoire in the psychedelic rock style. During the late sixties and the early seventies, Norio Maeda collaborated as well as arranger and pianist to various jazz rock albums for eminent japanese jazz musicians among others the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki (This Is Jazz Rock), Akira Ishikawa (Bakishinba - Memories Of Africa) and Takeshi Inomata (Drum Method). 

MUSICIANS : Norio Maeda - piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - electric guitar - Mitsuo Murakami - rhythm guitar - Kaoru Iiyoshi - electric piano, Hammond organ - Mihiro Arai & Masahiro Arashi - bass - Koichi Uchida - vibes - Takeshi Inomata & Takahiro Suzuki - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Shigeo Suzuki - flute, piccolo, clarinet, alto sax

Erasmo Carlos ‎- Carlos, Erasmo...

Year : 1971
Label : Philips
Genre : Rock, Latin
Style : MPB, Funk/Soul, Samba Rock

Brazilian rock masterpiece by the samba rock pioneer and eminent actor of the "Jovem Guarda", the scene wich popularized western pop & rock music in Brazil, during the late sixties. Influenced by the tropicália movement & the hippie counterculture, Erasmo Carlos has enlisted former members of psycheldic rock group "Os Mutantes" featuring lead guitarist Sergio Dias, drummer Dinho Leme and bassist Liminha. The recording sessions benefited of the arrangements from the brazilian masters Chiquinho de Moraes, Arthur Verocai & Rogério Duprat and studio guitarist Lanny Gordin. The album opens with "Noite Na Cama", a controversial ode to marijuana, written by Caetano Veloso for him. Other titles include cover songs of Jorge Ben (Agora Ninguém Chora Mais), Marcos Valle (26 Anos De Vida Normal) and orignal songs co-writted with his longtime partner, Roberto Carlos (Mundo Deserto, Ciça Cecilia...). Produced by the tropicália producer, Manoel Barenbein.

Brazilian Tapestry Vol. 5 ~ The Sound Of Brazil '70

The compilation series dedicated to the essential sound of the Brazil '70, including Latin Grooves, MPB, Jazz Funk & Samba Rock featuring some eminent actors of the Brazilian Soul movement, called "Black Rio", such as Miguel De Deus, Toni Tornado, Banda Black Rio, Hyldon or Dom Salvador. Recorded between 1967-1977, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven - Exciting Electric Bass

Year : 1969
Label : Victor
Serie : Perfect Sound 6
Genre : Jazz, Pop
Style : Jazz Rock

"Exciting Electric Bass" is a jazz rock and covers album recorded by Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven with japanese pop arranger Kunihiko Suzuki. It focuses on western pop hits & Soul Music including The Supremes (You Keep Me Hangin' On), The Tempations (I'm Gonna Make You Love Me) The Beatles (Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Back In The U.S.S.R), passing by The Jackson 5 (Maybe Tomorrow). Isao Etoh is a japanese session musician in demand who contributed as bassist to the success of the GS japanese rock genre during the sixties, recruited by Jackie Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets, The Jaguars, The Wild Ones or Terry and his Blue Jeans (Takeshi Terauchi). He collaborated to over 5000 recordings of pop songs, supporting various famous japanese pop icons (Linda Yamamoto, Yukari Ito, Jun Mayuzumi or Mieko Hirota). In the late sixties, he joined alongside the jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa, the backing band formed for the Japanese version of Broadway musical "Hair". Thereafter, he became a regular bassist in the Count Buffalos band of Akira Ishikawa. From the late sixties, Isao recorded a pop covers albums serie (like "Golden Electric Bass" with the Black Panthers) and joined several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd (Exciting Rock Beat, 1969), Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quartet (Playboy Sound - Get Back, 1969). At last, during the seventies, Isao played for Masabumi Kikuchi ("Masabumi Kikuchi + Gil Evans Orchestra" in 1972), Kimiko Kasai, Jiro Inagaki & Motohiko Hino.

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.

Os Brazões - Os Brazões

Year : 2014/1969
Label : Mr Bongo/RGE Discos
Genre : Latin Rock, MPB
Style : Psychedelic Rock, Funk/Soul

"Os Brazões" self-titled album was originally released on RGE Discos in 1969, the unique record of the psychedelic group formed in Rio De Janeiro in the late sixties. Lead by guitarist/singer Miguel De Deus (the frontman of Black Rio movement) featuring Eduardo 'Edu' Rocha (ds) & Mandrake Som (perc), the band started as backing band for Gal Costa and Tom Zé during the early days of Tropicália period. As their countrymen "Os Mutantes", the iconic psychedelic group from São Paulo, "Os Brazões" produced a masterpiece of Latin Rock with North American influences fusing elements from Samba to Funk/Soul & Acid Rock. Titles includes cover songs from Gilberto Gil ("Pega A Voga Cabeludo", "Volksvolkswagen Blue"), Jorge Ben/Toquinho ("Carolina, Carol Bela", "Que Maravilha") or Tom Zé (Feitiço), instrumental by Brazilian Octopus (Momento B/8) and their well-known song "Gotham City". 

The Fine Machine - Habitat

Year : 2016/1972
Label : Cinedelic Records/CAM
Genre : Jazz, Music Library, Stage & Screen
Style : Pop, Funk/Soul, Psychedelic, Jazz Rock

Masterpiece from Italian music library, first quality reissue stricly limited to 500 copies by Cinedelic records, originally released under the CAM (Creazioni Artistiche Musicali) files in 1972. "The Fine Machine" is formed by three italian composers/arrangers, pianist Giacomo Dell'Orso aka Oscar Lindok, Nico Fidenco (Donimak), and Gianni Dell'Orso (Proluton)."Habitat" is a crossover record including progressive rock, jazz & funk including psychedelic elements ("Obsessing Promenade", "Hand Shake" or "Crazy Eel"), latin beats ("Racing Beat", the bossa "Snobbery"), and oriental expressions on "The Eastern Question". All tracks arranged by Oscar Lindok.

Giuliano Sorgini E I Visconti - Under Pompelmo

Year : 2015/1971
Label : Cinedelic Records/Dischi Montecarlo
Genre : Jazz, Prog Rock, Funk/Soul, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Music Library, Psychedelic

Legendary Milanese killer groove album, reminiscent of the swinging London from the late sixties, reissued by italian label Cinedelic and originally released in 1973 on Montecarlo. Giuliano Sorgini is an italian composer and pianist in music for TV programs (Scappo Per Cantare), B-movies (Non Si Deve Profanare Il Sonno Dei Morti) and various documentaries produced for RAI (Gli Animali...Che Simpatia ; Pauline, Il Cavallo Sapiente). "Under Pompelmo" contains some elements from a typical soundscape and background music for films, including acid organ & fuzz guitar with pop overtones (Echos From Canyon, To Rebound), Funk/Soul (Wandering Man), psychedelic rock (When I See You) and the hypnotic title track, a jam session approaching 17 minutes. All tracks conducted & arranged by Giuliano Sorgini (p, org) featuring Marcello Caruti Atonelli (eb), Luigi Massari & Massimo Tonson Latour (eg), Franco Romagniello (ds).

Brazilian Tapestry Vol. 4

Volume 4 of the compilation series dedicated to the essential sound of the Brazil '60 & '70, including Latin grooves, MPB, Psychedelic music & Tropicália featuring Lalo Schifrin, Maria Bethânia, Tom Zé, Caetano Veloso, Bossa Três, Raulzinho, Edú Lobo, Á Tribo, Joyce, Guilherme Coutinho, Zito Righi & many more... All tracks compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

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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Tom Zé - Grande Liquidação

Year : 2011/1968

Label : Mr Bongo/Rozenbilt

Genre : Latin, Rock

Style : MPB, Psychedelia

The "Grande Liquidação" is the first testimony from one of the greatest talent coming from the Sao Paulo scene, a protest album including sharp criticism of the post-industrial Brazilian era and the consommation society. Tom Zé is an iconic figure of the Tropicália movement alongside Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, the musical revolution that introduced electric guitars in Brazilian music. The movement was mostly influenced by the psychedelic rock including protest speech, provocative & satirical lyrics, breaking with the spirit of Bossa Nova. Tom Zé surrounded himself by two backing band whose the brazilian psychedelic rock band "Os Brazões". Titles include "São São Paulo" & "Gloria" featuring Os Brazões, Tropicália classic "Namorinho De Portão", "Sem Entrada E Sem Mais Nada", "Quero Sambar Meu Bem". All tracks written by Tom Zé, songs 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 & 11 performed by Tom Zé with Os Versáteis.

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Innocent Cannon

Year : 1971
Label : King Records
Genre : Jazz
Serie : New Emotional Series
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock, Art-Rock

Concept art-rock album by Takeshi Inomata & his progressive jazz rock group, The Sound Limited featuring trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, guitarist Kimio Mizutani, flutist Toshiaki Yokota from The Beat Generation and special guest, the mystical narrator, japanese photographer Noriaki 'Tenmei' Kannoh. Titles include tribute to Janis Joplin "The Death of Janis", free forms of Rock, experimental sounds and Psychedelia. All tracks composed & arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

MUSICIANS : Tenmei Kano - narrator - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Jun Suzuki - bass - Kimio Mizutani - guitar, sitar - Shigehito Ohara - keyboards - Osamu Nakajima - percussion - Toshiaki Yokota - flutes - Jake H. Concepcion - soprano, alto & tenor saxophone, flute - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet, flugelhorn - Takehisa Suzuki - trumpet, flugelhorn - Shigemichi Domoto - trombone, vibraphone

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Sandro Brugnolini - Underground

Year : 2014/1970
Label : SONOR/Record TV Discografica
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic, Avant Garde, Free Rock

"Underground" was recorded at Dirmaphon Studio in Rome featuring the Rai TV session musicians and during the same session as his previous "Overground" in march 1970. This reissue of iconic Sandro Brugnolini record, brings together all tracks released on both RT 104 & RT 16, two LPs recorded for "Musiche Per Commento" serie by the italian music library label RTV (Record TV Discografica). Brugnolini explores psychedelia, afrobeat & rock avant-garde sounds in eleven instrumentals tracks including "Psichefreèlico", "Uauàico", "Africaneìdico" & "Dimàndico" (extracted from RT 16). All tracks composed & conducted by Sandro Brugnolini featuring Silvano Chimenti & Angelo Baroncini (eg), Giovanni Tommaso (eb), Enzo Restuccia (ds), Giorgio Carnini (org, p). 

Sandro Brugnolini ‎– Overground

Year : 2008/1970
Label : Cinedelic Records/Sincro Edizioni Musicali
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic, Avant-garde, Soul Jazz

Alessandro Brugnolini is an italian composer and alto sax player, best known as former member of super italian jazz group, the Modern Jazz Gang active from 1956 to 1965. He was the leading composer & arranger for the band, whose the most significant albums among others "Miles Before And After" (1960) and the original soundtrack from "Gli Arcangeli" (1962) featuring  american Jazz vocalist Helen Merrill. In 1958, Sandro gains audience winning the prize of best original piece at National Jazz Festival for his composition "Arpo" recorded with the Modern Jazz Gang. With Stefano Torossi , he collaborated to several projects including the famous "Feelings" released in 1974, although he was uncredited. Sandro was also in charge of various background music for TV programs and original film scores such as "Musica Per Comment Sonori" (1969), "Fantabulous, Inc." (1967), "Gungala La Pantera Nuda" (1968) or "L'Uomo Dagli Occhiali A Specchio" (1975). "Overground" was composed with the contribution of Luigi Malatesta featuring the Rai TV session musicians (guitarists Silvano Chimenti & Angelo Baroncini, bassist Giovanni Tommaso, drummer Enzo Restuccia and organist Giorgio Carnini). Titles include Jazz Rock avant-garde (Brain), psychedelic ballads (Adrie's Dream, Roxy), Soul Jazz mod (Celluin, Simanite) and two bonus tracks (Cromaton, Cortex).

The Cast Five - Popsound N. 1

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Year : 2014/1971

Label : Sonor Music Editions/Flirt Records
Genre : Jazz, Stage&Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Soul Jazz, Psychedelic

Out of the darkness thanks to the "Speedball Experience" released in the mid 90's, compilation of obscure pop jazz songs extracted from early 70's italian music library, including "Diatomea" & "Gospel 71". Originally first released on "Flirt" records in 1971, "Popsound N. 1" was finally reissued by the Sonor Music Editions, a label dedicated to the italian library music. It includes psychedelic grooves (Quadrante, Diatomea, Esse 4), Soul Jazz expressions (Rifrazione, Conker) and Heavy Funk sounds (Pacific 2000, Gospel 71). All tracks are performed by a trio of italian composers called "The Cast Five" formed by Ernesto Nicelli, Stellio Subelli & Pasquale Castiglione.

Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso (Tropicália)

 

Year : 1968

Label : Philips

Serie : DeLuxe
Genre : Latin, Rock, Latin Jazz
Style : MPB, Bossa Nova, Samba, Psychedelic

After his debut Bossa Nova album, "Domingo" (1967), which launched Gal Costa's career in Brazilian Pop Music, the committed artist Caetano Veloso, gets involved into the Tropicália movement in becoming one of its famous leaders with among others artists such as Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, Maria Bethânia or Tom Zé. This protest movement started in the late sixties, formed by a community of musicians, political activists, songwriters and poets who wanted revolutionize the brazilian culture involving an assertive social awareness against Brazilian military dictatorship (Gil & Veloso were held for several months in 1969 before to be forced to leave the country). They have searched in introducing largely some influences, spirit, writing style & attitude from the Beat Generation, folk & psychedelic music as performed by the Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Also called the "Tropicalia" album, it was recorded with the ambition to make it the equivalent of the "Sgt. Peppers" album for Brazil, co-written & composed with the poet José Carlos Capinan, his friend Gilberto Gil, Ferreira Gullar, the songstress Gal Costa and Rogério Duprat in charge of the arrangements (himself involved in several albums of the Tropicália movement),  Titles include the two anthems "Tropicália" & the freedom song "Alegria, Alegria" (often referred to as the Brazilian hymn of 1967), "Ave Maria" from the Franz Schubert version & "Clara" featuring Gal Costa.

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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Gal Costa - Gal Costa

 

Year : 1969  

Label : Philips

Genre : Jazz, Latin, Rock
Style : Samba, MPB, Psychedelic

Essential album by the iconic brazilian songtress of Tropicália mixing psychedelic rock, funk/soul including samba rock featuring special guest Gilberto Gil. It's the second collaboration with singer/lyricist Caetano Veloso after her first steps on duet album "Domingo", released in 1967. All tracks are arranged by Rogério Duprat, the brazilian maestro considered as the 'George Martin' of Tropicália movement. Titles include featurings with Gilberto Gil (Sebastiana, Namorinho De Portão), Caetano Veloso (Que Pena, Baby) and compositions from Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos (Se Você Pensa, Vou Recomençar), Jorge Ben (Deus È O Amor), Veloso (Não Identificado, Saudosismo).