Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo - Uganda (Dawn Of African Rock)

Year : 1972
Label : Toshiba Records
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Afrobeat

No need to introduce the best known and most iconic record of Akira Ishikawa & his progressive Jazz Rock Band, the Count Buffalos, in quartet formation featuring avant-garde guitarist Kimio Mizutani, bassist Hideaki Chihara &percussionist Larry Sunaga. The hypnotic "Uganda" was composed by saxophonist Takeru Muraoka (also in charge of arrangements), is a kind of stage play in four acts (Wanyamana Mapambazuko, Na Tu Penda Sana, Vita & Pigmy) that could have been produced in East Africa including Afrobeat, Progressive Rock and free forms of drum beats. All drums & percussions sounds arranged & composed by Akira Ishikawa.

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Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band - Soul & Rock

Year : 1969
Label : Denon
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Modal

Free Jazz Rock album including cover songs and original compositions recorded by the Count Buffalo band, pioneer of the Japanese Jazz Rock style featuring jazz giant pianist/arranger Masahiko Satō. The second album of Akira Ishikawa under the Count Buffalo nickname, who was actives since the mid-fifties as prolific percussionist and most famous jazz drummer with Motohiko Hino, Takeshi Inomata & George Kawaguchi. Titles include free forms of Jazz & psychedelic rock from The Beatles (Michelle, Hey Jude), the Motown's iconic song "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" which was performed by The Supremes, The Temptations & Stevie Wonder, the negro spiritual "Deep River", two compositions of Masahiko Satō "The Cougar" & "No More Than A Drop". All tracks arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki & Masahiko Satō.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Masaoki Terakawa - bass - Masahiko Satō - piano - Hiromasa Suzuki - electric piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Takeru Muraoka - saxophone

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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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Count Buffalo & His Rock Band - Exciting Drums ~ African Rock Party

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Exciting Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Latin Rock

Debut album introducing the Count Buffalo's name, behind which hide Akira Ishikawa & his rock band featuring pianist/arranger Hiromasa Suzuki, Kiyoshi Sugimoto (eg), Takeru Muraoka (ts) and Masaoki Terakawa (eb). "African Rock Party" opens the african period of the legendary jazz drummer, including twelve jazz rock tracks to the african & latin beats with psychedelic grooves & funky horns, all arranged by Kozaburo Yamaki & Hiroshi Takami from the Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd. Titles include only covers & jazz standards (The Sidewinder, The Cat) from Soul to Rock among The Supremes (You Keep Me Hangin' On),The Doors (Touch Me) or Booker T. & The MG's (Soul Limbo).

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 Count Buffalo Jazz And Rock Band - Bakishinba~Memories Of Africa

Year : 1970
Label : Polydor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock

The legendary drummer Akira Ishikawa & his Count Buffalos were prolific on the japanese fusion scene since the late sixties. Akira Ishikawa started in the mid-fifties when he joined the Akira Miyazawa's Modern All Stars and later the famous "New Herd" big band conducted by saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama. Akira Ishikawa becomes renown as bandleader for the Japanese version of rock musical ‘Hair’ from Broadway. Thereafter he becomes a sought-after session musician playing for various artists including japanese jazz/pop songstress Mieko Hirota, and formed the supergroup "Freedom Unity", a jazz quintet featuring pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba and trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. After a trip in eastern Africa, Akira introduces in his music various traditional afro-percussions (as the Bakishinba) brought back of his wanderings, in order to create a fusion between African music, Jazz, Rock & Soul,  which will reach its apogee with the iconic album, "Uganda", released in 1972. Titles include soul jazz tracks "Sandstorm", "Flamingo" & "Blue Soul" (composed by Hiromasa Suzuki), the psychedelic-jazz-rock suite with free expressions "African Deer" (composed by Norio Maeda). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda & Hiromasa Suzuki.

COUNT BUFFALOS : Akira Ishikawa - drums & african percussion - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - electric guitar - Isao Eto - electric bass - Hirosama Suzuki - keyboards - Norio Maeda - organ - Takeru Muraoka - tenor sax - Masami Kawahara - latin percussion

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