Hiromasa Suzuki - High-Flying

Year : 2016/1976

Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Nippon Columbia

Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk

The crossover jazz masterpiece "High Flying" ws reissued for the HMV Japan stores by  the Yusuke Ogawa's Deep Jazz Reality. Recorded by master Hiromasa "Colgen" Suzuki (one leader of the post-jazz rock era during the seventies in Japan), "High Flying" was produced by Jiro Inagaki, the man who was the footbridge between Jazz Rock and Jazz Funk periods, with his group the Soul Media. Suzuki was an actives guest member of the Jiro Inagaki's band, collaborating on several records, in charge of arrangements and compositions on the "Funky Stuff" album recorded in 1974. "High-Flying" brings together some best players of the japanese Fusion scene as keyboardist Jun Fukamachi, guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto or drummer Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami. Titles include the disco-funk tracks "Scramble", "Straight Flash", "Between O&M" (reminiscence of the Herbie Hancock style including amazing bass line) and "Out Of Focus" featuring scat songtress Kayoko Ishu from Singers Three, selected by Kyoto Jazz Massive for their "Shibuya Jazz Classics - Kyoto Jazz Massive Collection" compilation. All tracks composed and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

MUSICIANS : Hiromasa Suzuki & Jun Fukamachi - keyboards, synthesizer, piano - Jiro Inagaki - saxophones, flute - Akira Okazawa & Kenji Takamizu - electric bass - Fujimaru Yoshino, Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Masayoshi Takanaka - electric guitar - Shuichi Murakami - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussion - Kayoko Ishu - vocal

Jun Fukamachi - Spiral Steps

Year : 1976
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Space Age
   

"Spiral Steps" is a Space-Age Funk & Future Jazz album featuring the Breckers Brothers and the KORG synthesizer in showcase. Recorded for the first time outside Japan, it's divided in two recordings sessions, Tokyo & New York, including japanesese musicians among his regular sidemen Ray Ohara & Ponta Murakami, Akira Okazawa, Kazumi Watanabe, Anthony Jackson, Barry Rogers, Lou Marini from Blood, Sweat And Tears plus Jake H Conception as guest. Titles include the disco-boogie "In The Holiday Groove" feat. Jake H. Conception & "Taft 1082", the insane heavy funk "Spiral Steps" and the highlight suite for synthesizer "Scoto Phonobine Type I to III". All tracks composed & arranged by Jun Fukamachi.

MUSICIANS : Jun Fukamachi - keyboards - Shuici Ponta Murakami - drums - Akira Okazawa, Ray Ohara & Anthony Jackson - bass - Masayoshi Takanaka, Kazumi Watanabe - guitar - Randy Brecker - trumpet - Barry Rogers - trombone - Jake H.Conception, Michael Brecker & Lou Marini - tenor saxophone 

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Jun Fukamachi - Introducing Jun Fukamachi

Year : 1975
Label : Toshiba
Serie : Pro Use Direct Cutting Series
Genre : Jazz, Electronic
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion, Space-Age

"Introducing Jun Fukamachi" is a jazz funk album that showcases the Moog synthesizer featuring Rei Ohara (eb), Kenji Omura (eg), Ponta Murakami (ds) & Motoya Hamaguchi (perc). Jun Fukamachi is a japanese Jazz Fusion pianist, composer and pioneer of the synthesizer play. Indeed, mostly known for his use of various keyboards, Jun produces a particular atmosphere which seems "straight out from the future", a mix of electronic sounds tinted by heavy funk and electro-disco, his major signature during the seventies. In the late seventies, he invited the Brecker Brothers plus others american Jazz Fusion renowned musicians such as Lee Ritenour, Steve Gadd or Dave Sandborn to collaborate with him on several iconic albums and lives. Titles include two variations on "Evening Star" from the Wagner's Tannhäuser opera, "La Fille Aux cheveux De Lin" of Claude Debussy, original compositions by Kenji Omura (the stunning "Bamboo Bong"), the killer funk "Noah's Ark" & "Perfidy" by Fukamachi. All tracks arranged & conducted by Jun Fukamachi.

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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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