Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media, Tokyo Cuban Boys - Quad Dimension/Rock'N Latin

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Latin Rock

An umpteenth recording jazz rock session performed by Jiro inagaki & His Soul Media featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Takeshi Inomata, backed themselves by the most famous japanese Latin Big Band, the Tokyo Cuban Boys conducted by Tadaaki Misago. Arranged by famous jazz producer Takeo Ogawa, although less interesting than the "Head Rock" album, "Rock'N Latin" leaves however its mark by its originality, and remains a well-made jazz fusion album mixing rock 'n' roll with latin beats including acid organ and guitar distortion. Titles include killer variation of Latin jazz standard "Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock and various international pop/rock hits from The Beatles (Hey Jude) to Blood, Sweet And Tears (Spinning Wheel) by Fleetwood Mac (Black Magic Woman) & The Creedence (Proud Mary).

MUSICIANS : Tadaaki Misago - conductor - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill Sings The Beatles

Year : 1970
Label : Victor
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

Settled in Japan from 1966 to 1972, Helen Merrill recorded various albums whose this "Helen Merrill Sings The Beatles", her only one jazz rock album including japanese musicians among pianist Masahiko Sato, bassist Yasuo Arakawa, drummer Takeshi Inomata, The Singers Three (backing vocal) & others. Often compared to Billie Holiday for his voice, Helen Merrill is the last great lady of jazz still alive. Admired in Japan, she was among the first western artist to sing in the japanese tongue. Since 1954, she has recorded over 40 albums whose seven of which with various japanese musicians including Hozan Yamamoto ("Sings Folk" in 1963), Sadao Watanabe ("Bossa Nova In Tokyo" in 1967), Motohiko Hino ("Sposin'" in 1971) or Akira Miyazawa ("Plaisir d'Amour" in 1969). All tracks arranged by Masahiko Satoh.

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M. Sato + J. Inagaki & His Big Soul Media - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Free Rock

Masahiko Sato started as professional musician in the sixties joining the Masaaki Fujita Quintet  and  the Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd Big Band, before to enter in the Berklee College of Music in order to become arranger. From 1968 to 1971, he formed his most famous jazz combo, the Masahiko Sato Trio with the bassist Yasuo Arakawa & drummer Masahiko Togashi (the trio won the Japan Jazz Award in 1970, in the best debut album category for "Palladium"). Prolific pianist, Masahiko Sato has left his indelible mark on the japanese jazz history, with various experimental iconic projects ("Amalgamation", "Tri-Piano" with Norio Maeda), Free Jazz albums such as "Holography" or "Astorama" (with french violinist Jean-Luc Ponty) and soundtracks as "Belladonna" for Tezuka Productions. "Astorama", recorded in 1970, opens the way to his future international collaborations, as composer & arranger, in considerable recordings from Nancy Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Gary Peacock, Art Farmer, Hank Jones passing by his fellow countryman Yohsuke Yamashita. Satoh enrolled the Jazz Rock band "Soul Media", in joint project with Jiro Inagaki featuring Ryo Kawasaki, Yasuo Arakawa plus Tadayuki Harada, Shunzo Ohno & Takeshi Inomata from the Sound limited. Titles include the killer groove "Sniper's Snooze", the psychedelic soul tune "Love & Peace", the pop ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" from Simon & Garfunkel & the bluesy "Somethin Goin On" from Al Kooper. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Sato.

MUSICIANS : Masahiko Sato - piano & electric piano - Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Takeshi Inomata & Hajime Ishimatsu - drums - Seiji Tanaka - percussion

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Mr Drum & The Sound Machine - Mr Drum Lowdown

Year : 1971

Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Under the pseudonym of "Mr. Drum & The Sound Machine", hides the famous japanese drummer Takeshi Inomata and his Sound Limited featuring Norio Maeda, Kimio Mizutani & Shunzo Ohno. "Mr Drum Lowdown" is a progressive jazz rock album including covers following the previous Inomata's works recorded during the early seventies. Titles includes several timeless classics of Pop & Soul Music among "Brown Sugar" (The Rolling Stones), "It's Don't Come Easy" (Ringo Starr), "Rainy Days & Mondays" (The Carpenters), "Never Can Say Goodbye" (The Jackson 5), "Want Ads" (Honey Cone). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Norio Maeda - organ, piano - Yasuo Arakawa & Jun Suzuki - bass - Sadanori Nakamure & Kimio Mizutani - guitar - Jake H Concepcion - alto saxophone - Shunzo Ohno & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Osamu Nakajima - percussion

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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). 

 

Jiro Inagaki + Soul Big Media - Jazz & Rock "Out"

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Big Band

[Jazz & Rock "Out"] is a recording live at Hibiya Amphitheater performed by an expanded group of the Soul Media band led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki. From the original quintet to form the Soul Big Media, a brass ensemble is added featuring Tadayuki Harada, Shigeo Suzuki, Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Imai among others. Titles include "The Ground For Peace", taken from the Head Rock album, an variation of the "Head Rock" song called "Yie-Pie", the jazz standard "Freedom Jazz Dance" of Eddie Harris, the traditionnal Negro Spiritual "Oh ! Happy Day", the massive hit from  Blood, Sweat And Tears, "Spinning Wheel", and the classic Soul cover from Talma Motown, "You've Made Me So Very Happy".

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Sadakazu Tabata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Norio Maeda Trio - We Three Jazz

Year : 1978
Label : ADAM
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Contempory Jazz

  
The Norio Maeda Trio is among the finest japanese jazz formation actives during the seventies, including Takeshi Inomata on drums (regular sideman for Maeda), Yasuo Arakawa on bass and featuring american shakuhachi player (bamboo flute), John 'Kaizan' Neptune as guest on "Bamboo Blues". Titles include only Jazz standards among Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight", John Lewis' "Django", Duke Ellington's "In The Sentimental Mood" and the original "竹 Blues" (Bamboo Blues) composed by Neptune Kaizan. All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

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The Soul Medium - Woodstock Generation

Year : 1970
Label : Union
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Behind "The Soul Medium" name hides saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, an iconic figure of the japanese Jazz Rock scene during the late sixties to the early seventies. Jiro is supported by his legendary quintet "Soul Media" under its first incarnation featuring Ryo Kawasaki (g) Yasuo Arakawa (b), Masaru Imada (org), Sadakazu Tabata (ds), with Tetsuo Fushimi & Shunzo Ohno on trumpet in addition. "Woodstock Generation" is a tribute album to the Woodstock Festival including songs performed on the stage by Sly & Family Stone (I Want To Take You Higher), The Who (Summertime Blues) or Ten Years After (Spoonful). Titles include also variations on the "Head Rock" theme, "The Ground For Peace" taken from his first album and original composition of Masahiko Sato "Knick Knack". All tracks arranged by Jiro Inagaki.

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Shungo Sawada And All Stars - Fool On The Hill

Year : 1969

Label : Victor

Genre : Jazz

Style : Contemporary Jazz

Influenced by the Wes Montgomery style, Shungo Sawada was one of the main actors of the japanese Bossa Nova Boom and who contributed also to the modern jazz guitar expansion in Japan. "Fool On The Hill" is an essential japanese jazz album and a masterpiece of jazz guitar including Modal, Soul Jazz (Chattanooga Choo Choo) and some Free improvistions (Fool On The Hill). Formed in quintet featuring Norio Maeda (p, org), Masahiko Sato (p), Yasuo Arakawa (b) & Takeshi Inomata (ds), the All Stars are supported by a big band as on the great Wes Montgomery's albums released in the sixties. Titles include the great jazz standards, "The Look Of Love", "Satin Doll", "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise", "You And The Night And The Music". All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda & Masahiko Sato.

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Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media - Head Rock

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

"Head Rock" is an essential japanese jazz album, an iconic masterpiece recorded by the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, introducing his legendary first jazz quintet, the "Soul Media" featuring guitarist Ryo Kawasaki (his first professional appearance), Masaru Imada (org), Yasuo Arakawa (eb), Tetsuo Fushimi (tp) and Sadakazu Tabata (ds). Recorded in 1969 for the famous Takt Jazz Series (the japanese 'Blue Note'), "Head Rock" includes all elements of psychedelic music (guitar fuzz effects, reverb, rock drum breaks and acid organ), cover songs from Hal Galper (The Vamp), Willie Dixon (amazing version of blues standard "Spoonful"), originals composed by Ryo Kawasaki (Twenty One), Masaru Imada (High Jack), Yasuo Arakawa (The Ground For Peace) and Jiro (Head Rock). Jiro Inagaki started in 1963, recruited by american jazz songstress Helen Merrill alongside the Takeshi Inomata's West Liners formation for the album "Helen Merrill In Tokyo". From the late sixties to the early seventies, he was one of the main actor of the Japanese Jazz Rock scene, before turn to Jazz Funk music.  

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Takeshi Inomata And His Friends - Get Happy

Year : 1975

Label : Audio Lab. Record

Genre : Jazz, Ltin Jazz

Style : Hard Bop, Post Bop

Amazing record, among the best in the Takeshi Inomata's discography including swing, hard bop &  latin jazz with dynamic beats and insane drum breaks. Arranged by Norio Maeda,  mixed by Mr. "Jazz" sound engineer Okihiko Sugano, "Get Happy" brings together some of the best japanese jazz musicians featuring legends Tadayuki Harada & Kohnosuke Saijoh. Titles include Jazz standards "Here's That Rainy Day" by Jimmy Van Heusen, "Witch Doctor" by Lee Morgan, "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Cole Porter, and killer up-tempo variations on the Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)". 

MUSICIANS : Takeshi Inomata - drums - Norio Maeda - piano - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Fujio Saitoh & Pepe Anai - percussion - Jake H. Concepcion - alto saxophone - Kohnosuke Saijoh - tenor saxophone - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone

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