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.

Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd - New Herd

Year : 1974

Label : TBM

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Big Band, Contemporary Jazz

Recorded straight away after their concert at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1974, "New Herd" is the ommemorative reproduction of this performance. Played as the same way as the Buddy Rich or Woody Sherman big bands,it includes great jazz covers from Miles Davis (Donna Lee), Chic Corea (La Fiesta) and some japanese musical folk expressions (Furisode, Kappa Shijo). The Toshiyuki Miyama's Big Band's name was probably given in tribute to the legendary "Thundering Herds", formed in the late forties by Woody Sherman. "New Herd" album is a japanese jazz masterpiece which cleverly combining Big Band style with Jazz Funk, in particular on the amazing killer groove song "Sniper's Snooze", sampled by Cut Chemist for "React"'s interlude on "Power Numbers", the third album of Jurassic 5.

THE NEW HERD : Toshiyuki Miyama - conductor - Kiyoshi Takano - piano, electric piano  Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar, arrangements - Masaaki Ito - bass - Isao Yomoda - drums - Koji Suzuki, Atsuo Shirai, Mamoru Mori & Seiji Inoue - reeds - Masamichi Uetaka, Takahide Uchida, Takashi Hayakawa & Teruhiko Kataoka - trombone - Fumio Shirayama, Kazumi Takeda, Shigeru Kamimori & Yoshikazu Kishi - trumpet

Isao Suzuki & His Fellows - Touch

Year : 1975
Label : TBM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contemporary Jazz, Latin Jazz, Jazz Rock

Isao Suzuki & His Fellows featuring Kunihiko Sugano and the prominent leader of the Jazz Rock style during the eighties in Japan, guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. Recorded in the late 1975 at Tokyo Epicurus Studio, released under Three Blind Mice label, "Touch" consists in an eclectic selection of jazz styles ranging from Swing, Bossa Nova to Rock (the opening song over 11 minutes with the Kazumi's long guitar riff), with various remarkable inspirational grooves from Suzuki. Titles include "Touch" composed by Mr. Suzuki, "On The Trail" from Jazz composer & concertmaster Ferde Grofé, "She's Funny That Way" to the bossa arrangements (based on a original composition of Richard Whiting) with an expanded solo of Kunihiko Sugano, and the representative song of the Thelonious Monk's genius, the jazz standard "Round about Midnight".

MUSICIANS : Isao Suzuki - bass - Kunihiko Sugano - piano - Kazumi Watanabe & Masayuki Ise - guitar - Yoichi Ogawa - congas - Tetsujiro Obara - drums

LISTEN SAMPLE

Isao Suzuki Trio/Quartet ‎- Blow Up

Year : 1973
Label : TBM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Avant Garde, Progressive Jazz

Nicknamed the "Jazz Godfather" in Japan, Isao Suzuki is one of the most famous modern jazz bassist, versatile and avant-gardist, in charge of more 50 albums from Jazz to Samba by Hip-Hop & Electronic. Suzuki has gained experience playing alongside Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald or Ron Carter, before contribute to the development of the japanese Jazz Fusion and the Progressive Jazz movement, throughout the seventies. Many times awarded, the timeless "Blow Up" still remains a reference and an essential of Japanese Jazz, featuring two japanese jazz greats, pianist Kunihiko Sugano & drummer George Otsuka, as well as Takashi Mizuhashi, session bassist for TBM label, passing from the trio to a quartet formation when Suzuki plays cello. Titles include three compositions of Suzuki, the cello piece "Aqua Marine", the funky eponymous track, "Blow Up" & "Low Flight", the jazz standards "Everything Happens To Me", "I Can't Get Started"  & "Like It Is" played in the New Orleans style. All tracks arranged by Isao Suzuki, on tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6, Takashi Mizuhashi is added.

  

LISTEN SAMPLE

George Otsuka Quintet - Go On

Year : 1972
Label : TBM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Modal 

The first steps on the Three Blind Mice label by the great japanese drummer George Otsuka featuring Mabumi Yamaguchi, Takashi Mizuhashi, Toshiyuki Daitoku & the soulful expressions of Shunzo Ohno. After evolved in the Toshiko Akiyoshi's Cozy Quartet and the Hidehiko Matsumoto Quartet from 1961 to 1964, George Otsuka formed with Hideo Ichikawa & Masaoki Terakawa, his first legendary trio, actives from 1965 until 1969, with whom he recorded the famous trilogy "Page 1", "Page 2" & "Last Summer - Page 3", all released on the Columbia Takt Jazz Series. In 1968, he recorded "Groovin' With My Soul Brother" alongside Roy Haynes & Ichikawa, later evolved in the Mabumi Yamaguchi Quintet and was recruited by Isao Suzuki for his "Blow Up" in 1973, also on the TBM catalogue. During the seventies, George sharing stage with Elvin Jones or Nana Vasconcelos, and was sideman for various frontmen such as Hampton Hawes, Jack Dejohnette, Phil Wood or Miroslav Vitous. Titles include the jazz standard "Here's That Rainy Day" by Jimmy Van Heusen, the cover song "Isotope" from original composition of Joe Henderson, the title-track by Shunzo Ohno and two original compositions by Mabumi Yamaguchi.

MUSICIANS : Shunzo Ohno - trumpet & flugelhorn - Mabumi Yamaguchi - soprano & tenor saxophone - Toshiyuki Daitoku - piano - Takashi Mizuhashi - bass - George Otsuka - drums

LISTEN SAMPLE

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.

LISTEN SAMPLE

Teruo Nakamura - Unicorn

Year : 1973
Label : Three Blind Mice
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

Debut album of japanese bassist Teruo Nakamura, recorded in New York City and released on the legendary japanese 70s Jazz label, TBM (Three Blind Mice). "Unicorn" was recorded with some of the best American fusion musicians including drummers Lenny White from Return To Forever &  Alphonse Mouzon from Weather Report, saxophonist Steve Grossman. Titles includes "Understanding" & "Umma Be Me" featuring Sandy Hewitt on vocals, the Jazz standard of John Coltrane "Some Other Blues", "New Moon" composed by Steve Grossman, the Latin tune "Derrick's Dance" by John Miller and the original composition of Teruo, "Unicorn Lady". All tracks arranged by Teruo Nakamura.

MUSICIANS : Teruo Nakamura - bass - Steve Grossman - soprano & tenor saxophone - Charles Sullivan - trumpet - Alphonse Mouzon & Lenny White - drums - Hubert Eaves III & George Cables - piano, electric piano - Keiji Kishida & Ronald Jackson - percussion - Alvern Bunn - congas - John Miller - piano - Sandy Hewitt -vocals

LISTEN SAMPLE

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.