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

Kosuke Ichihara & 3 L - Now Sound '75

Year : 2017/1975
Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Victor
Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Fusion, Folk

Last testimony of Love Live Life (also known as 3L), japanese psychedelic jazz rock band born in full expansion of the japanese new rock era initiated by the Flower Travellin' Band (himself influenced by the Woodstock generation). Love Live Life's frontman Kosuke Ichihara is a japanese saxophonist, composer and arranger who evolved in famous Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd big band, in groups Tokyo Ensemble Academy, Takayuki Inoue Band, Masami Kawahara & The Exotic Sounds, was sideman for japanese jazz songstress Maki Asakawa, Mari Nakamoto and played alongside pianist Masahiko Satoh or drummer Jimmy Takeuchi. Among  japanese works mixing Jazz, Rock with popular folk songs from different parts of Japan (Okinawa to Hokkaido), "Now Sound '75" is one of the finest production of the genre, including deep grooves, catchy bass line, synthesizer sounds floating, soundscapes with cinematographic atmosphere and oriental melodies, all played in a psychedelic mood. 

LOVE LIVE LIFE : Kosuke Ichihara - tenor saxophone, flute - Toshiaki Yokota - flute, saxophone - HiroYanagida - piano, organ - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Kimio Mizutani, Takao Naoi - guitar - Chito Kawachi - drums - Naomi Kawahara - percussion

Mieko Hirota - My Funny Valentine

Year : 1976
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Best Vocal Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

"My Funny Valentine" is a cover album of western jazz & soul music by the most famous japanese songtress outside Japan, Mieko Hirota. "The Queen of Pop" in Japan, also nicknamed "MICO", started her professional career at 14, making her debut with cover song "Don't Treat Me Like A Child" released in 1961, but it's with the hit single "Vacation" that she really gained recognition in Japan from 1962. In July 1965, she was the first Japanese singer to perform at the american Newport Jazz Festival, and at the end of the sixties, she was also among the first japanese songstress to turn to the Soul and R&B music. During the seventies, she recorded several jazz funk albums with the Colgen Band led by arranger & pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, including some of the Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos group featuring Takeru Muraoka, Akira Okazawa or Takao Naoi. In the late seventies, she settled in New York city and recorded "Mieko Hirota in New York" featuring the Billy Taylor Trio and "Step Across" featuring Terumasa Hino, Joe Farrell, Stanley Cowell, Billy Cobham & Richard Davis. Tiles include the Soul classics of Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" & Aretha Franklin "Day Dreaming", the killer funk "Easy Evil", the Jazz standards "My Funny Valentine" & "There Will Never Be Another You" played in a samba fusion variation.

MUSICIANS : Mieko Hirota - vocal - Hiromasa Suzuki - synthesizer, piano - Takeru Muraoka - saxophones, flute - Takao Naoi & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Akira Okazawa & Isao Eto - bass - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Akira Ishikawa - drums, percussion

Nobuo Hara And Sharps & Flats - Double Exposure

Year : 1970
Label : Liberty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Modal, Funk/Soul, Folk

A project mixing Jazz with Oriental expressions by the most famous Japanese Big Band featuring the great "Lady of Jazz", pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi as arranger and composer. As the Count Basie Orchestra, "Sharps & Flats" has been a springboard for many outstanding japanese jazz musicians like Hiroshi Suzuki (tb), Takao Naoi from The Count Buffalos (eg), Toshihiko Ogawa (p), Hiroshi Takeuchi (b), Koji Suzuki (as) or Teruyuki Fukushima (tp), all playing on "Double Exposure". Toshiko brings her contribution with four own compositions : "Let's Roll In Sake" including dynamic drums breaks, the oriental piece "Sumie", "Fool" & the extended bluesy tune "Double Exposure". Titles also include "Ostinatism" & "Lonely Girl Of East" composed by Eiichi Fujii.

Count Buffalos - Emergency

Year : 1976
Label : Toshiba
Serie : Pro-Use Direct Cutting Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

"Emergency" is a jazz funk album recorded by drummer Akira Ishikawa featuring his Count Buffalos band and the japanese Funk/Soul songstress Tan-Tan. As on "Get Up!", his previous album, "Emergency" was arranged by pianist Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki & guitarist Takao Naoi, incorporating some disco-beats and including the same line-up with saxophonist Takeru Muraoka and keyboardist Hideo Ichikawa, among others. Hiromasa Suzuki composed the opening disco-funk "Yama-To-Mizu", while others titles include the "Drum Solo" performed by Akira Ishikawa, cover songs featuring Tan-Tan ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" by James Taylor, "I've Never Found A Man" in the pure disco style by Esther Phillips) and the Galper Hal's "Phases".

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki & Hideo Ichikawa - keyboards - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Takao Naoi - guitar - Larry Sunaga - percussion - Takeru Muraoka & Masao Suzuki - saxophones - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Eji Arai - trombone

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Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats + 1 - Electronics

Year : 1970

Label : Nippon Columbia

Genre : Jazz

Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul, Jazz Rock

Crossover Jazz album by the Sharps & Flats big band lead by saxophonist Nobuo Hara featuring Hiroshi Suzuki (tb), Koji Suzuki (as) Toshihiko Ogawa (p), Hiroshi Takeuchi (eb), Kazuhiro Ebisawa (ds), Takao Naoi (eg) among others, and special guest, Takehiro Honda on Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 organ. As the title suggest, Nobuo Hara introduces for the first time electronic elements in "Sharps & Flats" in particular electric bass & piano. It's also the first incursion in the R&B genre, that's why Masahiko Satoh & Yasuo Arakawa were recruited in charge of arrangements. Titles include Rock & Soul covers from Jethro Tull (Bourree), The Beatles (Come Together) and original compositions by Nobuo Hara (Tumblin! Tambourine!, Horse Laugh Blues) and Masahiko Sato (Nervous Breakdown). 

 

Yuji Ohno & Galaxy - Captain Future (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1979
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

The legendary japanese soundtrack composed by Yuji Ohno and recorded with the Galaxy band featuring Takao Naoi, Eiji Arai, Takeru Muraoka, Jake H Concepcion and Pepe Anai, all from You & The Explosion Band. Produced in the late seventies, the Space Opera "Captain Future" is a TOEI animated serie in 53 episodes, originally broadcast from november 1978 to december 1979. "Captain Future" is among the first animated serie to be exported outside Japan which knew a worldwide success from France ("Capitaine Flam") to Italy by US. The serie is based on stories written by Edmond Hamilton which were published in the Pulp Magazine from 1940 to 1951. The soundtrack includes deep ambient grooves served by the Korg Synthesizer, Jazz Funk pearls ("Andromeda No Kanata Ni"), Disco beats ("Ijigen No Eden") or Pop songs ("Oira Wa Sabishii Spaceman" feat. Hideyuki Hirano). Titles include also the opening ("Yume No Funanori" feat. Yukihide Takekawa) & ending themes ("Popura-Dōri No Ie" feat. Peeka-Boo), the song "Ok! Captain" feat. Kamishiro Youth Chorus from Sendai.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - electric piano, Korg synthesizer - Minoru Kuribayashi - organ - Takao Naoi - electric guitar - Kiyoshi Hagiya - electric guitar - Michio Nagaoka - electric bass - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Pepe Anai - percussion - Takeru Muraoka - tenor saxophone - Jake H Concepcion - alto saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Susumu Kazuhara - trumpet - Eiji Arai - trombone - Isao Kaneyama - vibes

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Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffalos - Get Up!

Year : 1975
Label : RCA
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

The Jazz Funk masterpiece of Akira Ishikawa, a joint project with his fellow arranger Hiromasa 'Colgen' Suzuki, featuring his Count Buffalos backing band. With "Get Up!", Akira Ishikawa left Jazz Rock to dive in Jazz Funk enrolling new members among guitarist Takao Naoi, trombonist Eji Arai and trumpeter Koji Hatori. Composed and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki, the album includes the two heavy funk "The Heated Point" & "Painted Paradise", originally recorded in 1974 for the "Electro Keyboard Orchestra" project & "Funky Stuff" album of saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, the cosmic Soul ballads "Discharge" & "Stone River", the up-tempo "Get Up!" and "Minor Jump".

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano, syntheziser - Hideo Ichikawa - electric piano - Takeru Muraoka - tenor & soprano saxophone, flute - Masao Suzuki - alto & soprano saxophone, flute - Takao Naoi - electric guitar - Masaoki Terakawa - electric bass - Eji Arai - trombone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Larry Sunaga - percussion

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Akira Ishikawa - Back To Rhythm

Year : 1975
Label : Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Afrobeat

"Back To Rhythm" is a covers album of Pop & Soul music including heavy funk and afrobeat, which closes the african period of Akira Ishikawa, supported by his fabulous Count Buffalos group featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takeru Muraoka, Larry Sunaga and pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki. Akira Ishikawa leaves the Afro-Rock to get into Boogie Funk, taking over some Funk/Soul classics of the genre from BT' Express (Do It Til You're Satisfied), Stevie Wonder (Boogie On Reggae Woman) or Average White Band (Pick Up The Pieces), and cover pop songs from The Beatles (Hey Jude) and Simon & Garfunkel (El Condor Pasa), "I Shot The Sheriff" from Eric Clapton's version, "Bongo Rock" (Incredible Bongo Band) and "Let's Start" (Fela Kuti). All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums, vocals, african percussions - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takao Naoi & Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar - Hiromasa Suzuki - synthetizer - Takeru Muraoka & Masao Suzuki - saxophones - Eiji Arai - trombone - Koji Hatori - trumpet - Larry Sunaga - percussions

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Sonia Rosa With Yuji Ohno - Spiced With Brazil

Year : 1974

Label : CBS

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz

Style : Pop, Bossa Nova

"Spiced With Brazil" is a joint project between a Brazilian native living in Japan and japanese jazz legend, pianist Yuji Ohno featuring Akira Okazawa (eb), Takao Naoi (g), Tsunehide Matsuki (eg), Kazuyoshi Okayama (ds), Tsuyoshi Yamamoto (ep), Larry Sunaga & Pepe Anai (per). In order to get to closer to the sound of the iconic Bossa Nova Verve's productions to the sophisticated sweetness, Yuji enrolled strings ensemble the "Ohno Group". Sonia Rosa started in 1967, recording her debut album with Chiquinho De Moraes, before to leave Brazil for Japan at the age of 20. In 1970, she released covers album of Bossa Nova "Sensitive Sound Of Sonia Rosa" with the Sadao Watanabe Quintet, her first record in Japan. Shortly after, she recorded "Spice With Brazil", her best-known album marking the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship with japanese jazz pianist Yuji Ohno, including "Space Kid" in 1978, "Samba Amour" in 1979 or "Lupin The Third [JAZZ] : Bossa & Fusion" in 2002. Titles include the classics of Bossa Nova from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfa to Chico Buarque by Edu Lobo ("Casa Forte" feat. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano), jazz standards of Jimmy Van Heusen ("Here's That Rainy Day"), Paul Francis Webster ("Secret Love"), pop covers of James Taylor ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight") and Linda Creed ("You Make Me Feel Brand New" feat. backing vocal band Time Five). All tracks arranged and conducted by Yuji Ohno except "Chove Là Fora" by Sonia Rosa.

Yuji Ohno - Inugamike No Ichizoku (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1976
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style :  Jazz Rock, Fusion

Original Soundtrack of the japanese horror/mystery story "Inugamike No Ichizoku" (Inugami Family), outcome from a long tradition of supernatural suspense films directed by Kon Ichikawa, iconic director of movie series based on the detective "Kindaichi" in the seventies. The soundtrack includes various genres from Jazz to Pychedelic Rock, mixed with eastern sounds produced by the biwa (japanese folk guitar), songs inspired by Pink Floyd ("Grudge", "Hatred's Theme"), some tracks with free expressions and Jazz Funk (The Blood Of The Passion, Mask). All tracks are supported by strings ensemble "Minoru Suzuki Group", conducted by Hiroshi Yoshizawa, composed, arranged & performed by Yuji Ohno featuring biwa player Masako Hirayama, Minoru Kuribayashi, Shigeto Ohara from Electro Keyboard Orchestra, Kiyoshi Sugimoto & Takao Naoi from The Count Buffalos.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno, Shigeto Ohara - piano - Minoru Kuribayashi - organ - Tyuei Yoshikawa - accoustic guitar - Akira Okazawa, Kenji Takamizu - bass - Masako Hirayama - biwa - Yasushi Ichihara - drums - Keiji Azami - dulcimer - Masami Nakagawa, Takeshi Shinohara & Yukio Nishizawa - flute - Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Takao Naoi & Ryogo Kanari - guitar - Tadaomi 'Pepe' Anai - percussion - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

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Love Live Life + One - Love Will Make A Better You

Year : 1971
Label : King Records
Serie : New Emotional Work Series
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock

"Love Live Life + One" was a japanese progressive rock band including Jazz, Funk & Soul elements, lead by the saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara featuring the frontman Akira Fusé, an iconic japanese actor and singer. "Love Live Life" (also known as "3L") is formed by prestigious members of various famous jazz rock groups as The Beat Generation, The Sound Limited or Count Buffalos among Toshiaki Yokota (fl), Masaoki Terakawa (eb), Takao Naoi (eg), rock avant-garde musicians Kimio Mizutani (eg), Hiro Yanagida (org), supported by Chito Kawachi (ds) & Naomi Kawahara (perc). Between 1971 and 1975, the band released four others albums between 1971 and 1975, whose the last act is "Now Sound '75" dedicated to the Min'yō, the japanese folk music genre. "Love Will Make A Better You" includes experimental art-rock suite "The Question Mark", the insane hard rock piece with the Fusé's evil screams "Love Will Make A Better You", the psychedelic groove "Running Free", "Shadow Of The Mind" and the heavy blues rock "Facts About It All". All tracks composed & arranged by Kosuke Ichihara