Toshiaki Yokota & The Beat Generation - Elévation

 

Year : 2019/1970

Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Express
Serie : Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Rock, Soul Jazz, Psychedelic Rock

The first master stroke of The Beat Generation, lead by the iconic japanese flutist Toshiaki Yokota from the Takeshi Inomata's  Sound Limited and Love Live Life. Arranged by the japanese jazz master Masahiko Satoh, it features Takeshi Inomata (ds), Hideo Ichikawa (keys), Jun Suzuki (eb), Sadanori Nakamure (eg) & Larry Sunaga (perc), all supported by strings ensemble. Unlike their following album, the experimental "Flute Adventure" released the next year, "Elévation" is more a mainstream record to the baroque pop occured by the Ichikawa's harpsichord play and chamber music (Easy To Be Hard), soul jazz (What'd I Say) and psychedelic pop styles (And When I Die). Titles include also compositions by Toshiaki Yokota (Elevation pt1&2, On The Road), Takeshi Inomata (Curved Navel) & Hideo Ichikawa (How Long Have I Been Waiting For You).

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

Toshiaki Yokota, Primitive Community ~ Primitive Community

 

Year : 2013/1971

Label : Think! Records/Toshiba
Genre : Jazz, Folk
Style : Jazz Rock  

"Primitive Community" (Genshi Kyodotai) is a collective especially formed for a mystical project out from the Yoshiaki Yokota's mind. In the same way of his previous project "Flute Adventure" by The Beat Generation, ranging from Free Jazz to Rock by Folk, it consists of a sophisticated avant-garde fusion, a kind of theatrical play speaking in ethnic music with African inspirations including psychedelia, hypnotic tribal percussions, fuzz guitar & acid organ. Titles include only originals compositions arranged by Yokota plus one cover of The Beatles ("Flying"). It features Toshiaki Yokota (indian, alto & bass flute), Shunzo Ohno (trumpet), Yusuke Hoguchi (Hammond organ), Kimio Koizumi (eb), Kimio Mizutani (eg), Chito Kawachi (ds), Tadaomi Anai, Larry Sunaga & Yoshinori Nohmi on percussions.

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited - Innocent Cannon

Year : 1971
Label : King Records
Genre : Jazz
Serie : New Emotional Series
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock, Art-Rock

Concept art-rock album by Takeshi Inomata & his progressive jazz rock group, The Sound Limited featuring trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, guitarist Kimio Mizutani, flutist Toshiaki Yokota from The Beat Generation and special guest, the mystical narrator, japanese photographer Noriaki 'Tenmei' Kannoh. Titles include tribute to Janis Joplin "The Death of Janis", free forms of Rock, experimental sounds and Psychedelia. All tracks composed & arranged by Takeshi Inomata.

MUSICIANS : Tenmei Kano - narrator - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Jun Suzuki - bass - Kimio Mizutani - guitar, sitar - Shigehito Ohara - keyboards - Osamu Nakajima - percussion - Toshiaki Yokota - flutes - Jake H. Concepcion - soprano, alto & tenor saxophone, flute - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet, flugelhorn - Takehisa Suzuki - trumpet, flugelhorn - Shigemichi Domoto - trombone, vibraphone

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Toshiaki Yokota & The Beat Generation - Flute Adventure

Year : 1971

Label : King Records
Serie : New Emotional Work Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz,
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Jazz, Bossa Nova, Psychedelic Rock

"Flute Adventure" is a concept album including latin jazz, progressive rock & free jazz, recorded by The Beat Generation lead by Toshiaki Yokota (indian, alto & bass flute) featuring Kimio Mizutani (eg), Larry Sunaga (perc), Sadanori Nakamure (g), Masaoki Terakawa (eb) & Hideo Ishikawa (keys). The Beat Generation is a japanese avant-garde jazz collective influenced by French symbolism, american counterculture and psychedelic rock. Toshiaki Yokota is part of these japanese pioneers who introduced some traditional flutes in modern music with Minoru Muraoka & Hozan Yamamoto, and was member others iconic jazz rock formations in Japan such as the Takeshi Inomata's The Sound Limited or the progressive rock band, Love Live Life. The first side is a tribute to the Arthur Rimbaud's poetry, called "Le Soleil Etait Encore chaud" including four tracks within a Jazz Rock suite including african rhythms, psychedelia and free improvisations. The side B takes us on board in a Brazilian journey from Bossa to Samba including original Yokota's composition "Ofélia", "Samba De Orfeu" (played in a Samba-Rock fusion), "Orfeu Negro (Manhã De Carnaval)", both composed by Luiz Bonfa, and a rock variation of "Reza" coupled with his "Ending Samba".

Takeshi Inomata & Sound L.T.D. - Drum Method

Year : 1972
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Method Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

Another amazing album of Takeshi Inomata in the Chicago band's style recorded for the "Method Series" including progressive rock, insane drum breaks ("Drum Concert I" & "II") and Funk/Soul expressions. Always supported by his supergroup "Sound Limited" featuring pianist/arranger Norio Maeda, Takeshi Inomata takes over some incredelible rock songs including terrific variations on the "Runaway Child" of Buddy Miles, "Smack Water Jack" (composed by Quincy Jones for Carole King) and "Child Of Storm"/"Fibonacci's Number" of British band "IF". Titles include also others jazz standards and covers from Michel Colombier (Pourquoi Pas ?), Herbie Hancock (Maiden Voyage) & Dave Brubeck (Blue Rondo A La Turk), two original compositions of Norio Maeda (Sleeper, Seven). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Norio Maeda - piano, electric piano - Yusuke Hoguchi - organ - Jun Suzuki - electric bass - Kimio Mizutani - electric guitar - Toshiaki Yokota - flute - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Jake H. Concepcion - saxophone

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Takeshi Inomata & Sound L.T.D. - Sounds Of Sound L.T.D.

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Groovy Sound Series/Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

"Sounds Of Sound L.T.D." is an iconic album out from the Japanese Jazz Rock scene including psychedelic grooves (Mustache), heavy funk breaks (Joint), melodic jazz (Monster) & progressive rock (Tak's Tune). Takeshi Inomata introduced here "The Sound Limited", his regular group during the seventies, featuring the legendary guitarist Ryo Kawasaki, flutist Toshiaki Yokota and trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, barely in his 19 year. In the early sixties, Takeshi Inomata was enrolled in the Hidehiko Matsumoto Quintet and was a regular sideman of jazz pianist Norio Maeda, also within groups Norio Maeda Trio, The Wind-Breakers & The Third. During the sixties, he participated on most japanese recordings of jazz songstress Helen Merrill (such as "In Tokyo", "Plaisir D'amour" or "Sings The Beatles"), formed his best known jazz formation "The West Liners" and evolved within the Mal Waldron Trio. 

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Jun Suzuki - bass - Ryo Kawasaki & Shigenori Kamiya - guitar - Yusuke Hoguchi - organ - Toshiaki Yokota - flute - Takao Uematsu - saxophone - Shunzo Ohno & Takashi Kumagai - trumpet - Shigemichi Domoto & Takashi Imai - trombone

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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