Tadao Sawai, Hozan Yamamoto - Jazz Rock Koto / Japanese Folk Song

Year : 2020/1973

Label : Mr Bongo/RCA

Genre : Jazz, Folk

Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock, Min'yo

Originally released in 1973 on RCA, "Jazz Rock Koto" is actually the meeting between spiritual jazz with iconic japanese folk songs called "Min'yō", including funk elements, traditional japanese instruments use the shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and koto (national instrument of Japan). It features renowed koto players Tadao Sawai, Kazue Sawai on koto and the "Living National Treasure of Japan", Hozan Yamamoto on shakuhachi. They are supported by Norio Maeda (p) and his rhythm section with Takeshi Inomata (ds), Tatsuro Takimoto (b) and Sadanori Nakamure (g) plus Jake H Concepcion on saxophone. Titles include popular folk songs in Japan among "Soran Bushi", "Sado Okesa", "Hokkai Bonuta", "Kuroda Bushi", "Kiso Bushi" and many more.

Takeshi Inomata - Drum Shot

Year : 1968
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Modal

Recorded in the late 1967, the modern jazz album, "Drum Shot" of Takeshi "Mr. Drum" Inomata was produced & arranged by Norio Maeda (p), featuring jazz legend Konosuke Saijo (ts), Sadanori Nakamure (eg) from the West Liners, Tatsuro Takimoto (b) from Norio Maeda Trio and Hiroshi Suzuki (tb) in addition. In "Drum Shot", all structures of jazz drums are explored, passing by a variety of rhythms including free expressions and insane syncopated beats, in particular on the two drum sessions "Drum Shot" & "Hole Out". Titles include also the Maeda-Inomata duo "Birdie", "Singing On A Cab", "Unlucky Seven" & the soul jazz track "Go Go A Go Go" feat. Hiroshi Suzuki composed by Maeda. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

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Norio Maeda Trio - Alpha Ray

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Post Bop, Modal

The Norio Maeda's jazz masterpiece, among the best "Takt Jazz Series" albums ever recorded featuring bassist Tatsuro Takimoto & drummer Takeshi Inomata from The West Liners. "Alpha Ray" is played in up-tempo mode including Hard Bop, Modal (Fifth Column) & Avant-Garde Jazz (Infinite). Titles include four original compositions by Maeda, the jazz standards from Ray Henderson (Bye Bye Blackbird), Gene DePaul (Star Eyes), "Maria" taken from West Side Story played in the samba mode and the explosive opening track "Alpha Ray", which was included in the Shibuya Jazz Classics (Sleep Walker Collection - Columbia Issue), compilation gathering the influences of the japanese avant-garde Nu-Jazz band, Sleep Walker. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

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Tadayuki Harada And His Group - Playboy's Theme

Year : 1968
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Pop

Debut album as a leader by saxophonist Tadayuki Harada featuring the complete formation of the West Liners lead by drummer Takeshi Inomata including Hiroshi Okazaki, Norio Maeda and Masaru Imada. Former member of several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as "Sharps & Flats" of Nobuo Hara and The West Liners (from 1957 to 1966), Tadayuki Harada was a session musician in demand, playing for the greatest among pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Helen Merrill, Sammy Davis Jr. or Salina Jones. In the late seventies, he was in groups "Wind Breakers" lead by pianist Norio Maeda and Takeshi Inomata & The Third. Titles include classics of Bossa Nova from Jorge Ben (Chove Chuva), Edu Lobo (For Me), pop covers from Bobby Hebb (Sunny), Burt Bacharach (The Look Of Love), and Jazz standard by Joe Zawinul (Mercy, Mercy, Mercy). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Hiroshi Okazaki - alto saxophone, flute - Ichiro Mimori & Yoichi Kanai - tenor saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi & Kazutoshi Okubo - trumpet - Tatsuro Takimoto - bass - Sadanori Nakamure_- guitar - Norio Maeda & Masaru Imada - piano - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Yonosuke Segami - percussion

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Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners - Liner Note

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Year : 1967
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban Jazz

"Liner Note" recorded in 1966, is the first original album by Takeshi Inomata released under the Takt Jazz Series of Nippon Columbia label. The West Liners lead by the legendary japanese drummer was originally formed as a sextet in 1957 with pianist/arranger Norio Maeda featuring Masaru Imada (p), bassist Tatsuro Takimoto (b), Sadanori Nakamure (g),  Shigeo Suzuki (as), Ichiro Mimori (ts) and Tetsuo Fushimi (tp). They were recruited as backing band by american songstress Helen Merrill when she was settle in Japan, recording "Helen Merrill In Tokyo" & "Sings Screen Favorites". Among others albums released by the band feature "Modern Top Hits" in 1965, come thereafter, "Paint It Black" in 1966,  "Come Together!" in 1969 and "My Way" in 1971. "Liner Note" is a blend of Jazz & Latin music including jazz standards of Miles Davis, George Gershwin & Herbie Hancock from Cool Jazz (All Blues), Modal (Freddie Freeloader, Cantaloupe Island) to Afro-Cuban Jazz (Afro-Blue), by Samba (La Grita) & Bossa Nova (Meditation, Panteno). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

N.Maeda = J.Inagaki And The All-Stars - This Is Jazz Rock

Year : 1968

Label : Nippon Columbia

Genre : Jazz

Style : Soul Jazz

Norio Maeda (org) in joint project with Jiro Inagaki (ts) and the Columbia All-Stars featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto (eg), Tatsuro Takimoto (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp), Takeshi Inomata (ds) and Osamu Nakajima (per). Despite the fact that album is titled "Jazz-Rock", is rather a Soul Jazz album, in which Norio Maeda revisits various classics from Jazz to Pop by R&B, including cover songs of The Beatles (Day Tripper, Here, There & Everywhere), The Barkays (Soul Finger), The Temptations (My Girl), John Lee Hooker (Boom Boom) or Herbie Hancock (Watermelon Man). Titles include also two original compositions by Maeda (Snap Shot, Go Go A Go Go), Inagaki (Barock) and the killer track "Pata Pata" by Miriam Makeba. Norio Maeda was a pianist in charge of various experimental jazz projects (Super-Tri-Piano, Revolution), composer of background music for TV shows, films and animated series (Crusher Joe). He was also a sought-after arranger collaborating in particular with Helen Merrill, Takeshi Inomata, Akira Miyazawa, Martha Miyake, the Tokyo-Cuban Boys, Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd or Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos. He evolved within several jazz formations in groups The West Liners, The Third or with his Wind-Breakers.

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