Yuji Ohno - The Boss & His Piano ~ Selected Works 1967 - 1975

Dedicated to the legendary japanese jazz pianist, "The Boss & His Piano" includes essential studio & live recordings by Yuji Ohno as a sideman and under his own name. Best known as composer of various background music for films and animation series, Yuji Ohno played alongside the greatest japanese jazz musicians among trumpeter Terumasa Hino, the drummers Masahiko Togashi & Hideo Shiraki or guitarist Ryo Kawasaki from Gil Evans Orchestra. From 1970 to 1975, his regular jazz trio consists of drummer Kazuyoshi Okayama and the bassists Yoshio Ikeda, Takashi Mizuhashi. During the seventies, he was an arranger in demand who regularly collaborated with various japanese jazz songstress such as Mieko Hirota, Martha Miyake, Kimiko Kasai, Hatsumi Shibata, the american Ann Young and brazilian Sonia Rosa. All tracks recorded between 1967-1975, featuring Terumasa Hino, Kimiko Kasai, Yuji Ohno, Sonia Rosa, Ann Young, Itaru Oki, Hiroshi Suzuki, Masahiko Togashi. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Sadao Watanabe - Sadao Plays Bacharach & Beatles

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Pop, Soul Jazz, Jazz Rock,

As title suggests, "Sadao Plays Bacharach & Beatles" is a compilation album of their best known songs. It brings together three studio recordings and six live recordings from the Sadao Watanabe's 1968 performance at Sankei-Hall, Tokyo, featuring Terumasa Hino, Kazuo Yashiro, Yoshiaki Masuo, Hiroshi Suzuki & Yoshio Ikeda. Titles include some famous Burt Bacharach's pop songs (Look Of Love, Walk On By) and from The Beatles, including three tracks from their "Magical Mystery Tour" album, all played in the Soul Jazz/Rock styles. All tracks of the side B are studio recordings whose a over 14 min variation of George Harrison's "Blue Jay Way" including free rock expressions.

MUSICIANS : Sadao Watanabe - alto saxophone, sopranino - Yoshiaki Masuo - guitar- Yoshio Ikeda - bass - Isao Eto - electric bass - Fumio Watanabe - drums - Yuji Imamura - percussion- Kazuo Yashiro - organ, electric piano, hapsicord -  Terumasa Hino & Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Yasushi Ichihara - baritone trombone

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Masabumi Kikuchi - Poo-Sun

Year : 1970
Label : Philips
Genre : Jazz
Style : Fusion, Contemporary Jazz

One of the finest Japanese Jazz Fusion album ever recorded by jazz pianist. Influenced by Mc Coy Tyner, Masabumi Kikuchi started as professional in the late 50's, was sideman for Sadao Watanabe during the sixties, and played alongside Terumasa Hino, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the jazz giants Elvin Jones, Gil Evans, Sonny Rollins or Miles Davis on stage. As the Terumasa Hino's Hi-Nology, "Poo-Sun" adopts the "Electric Miles" approach, the beginnings of electrification in jazz from "Miles In The Sky" (1968). Kikuchi formed a great sextet-combo based Kohsuke Mine, Motohiko Hino & Yoshio Ikeda. Titles include the representative Kikuchi style "Dancing Mist", the tribute to Elvin Jones (E.J.), the iconci jazz ballad "Yellow Carcass In The Blue" and the jazz rock "Puzzle Ring" followed by the short piano piece, "My Companion". All tracks composed and arranged by Masabumi Kikuchi excepted "Puzzle Ring" by Masahiro Kikuchi.

MUSICIANS : Masabumi Kikuchi - piano, electric piano - Hideo Ichikawa - organ, electric piano - Kohsuke Mine - soprano, alto saxophone - Yoshio Ikeda - bass - Motohiko Hino & Hiroshi Murakami - drums  Keiji Kishida - percussion

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Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quintet - Babylonia Wind

Year : 1971
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : The Essence Of Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock

"Babylonia Wind" is an essential of the japanese jazz albums, masterpiece of jazz guitar performed by the Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quintet featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto at the top of his game. The quintet is based on the same rhythm trio as on his previous album (Country Dream), including bassist Yoshio Ikeda & drummer Motohiko Hino, while Hideo Ichikawa replaces Hiromasa Suzuki on electric piano with Takao Uematsu on tenor saxophone in addition. Titles include deep grooves with free improvisations (Rosetta Stone, Colsabard Hill), modal expressions (Hieroglyph) or jazz tinged with psychedelic rock (Babylonia Wind, Mr Darius). All tracks composed and arranged by Kiyoshi Sugimoto.

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S.Sawada = T.Muraoka & The All-Stars - Hit And Hit In Bossa Nova

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Year : 1968
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz, Pop
Style : Bossa Nova, Easy Listening

Twelve nice tracks to the latin mood recorded by one of japanese jazz greats, the guitarist Shungo Sawada featuring saxophonist Takeru Muraoka. They are supported by the Nippon Columbia All-Stars formed by Norio Maeda (p), Hiroshi Suzuki from Freedom Unity (tr), Yo Tokuyama (vb), Yoshio Ikeda (eb) and Nishikawa Takaaki (ds). It's not only talking about Bossa Nova but rather of a subtle blend of Pop, Easy Listening & Latin tunes including japanese classic pop songs of the 1968 year, revisited by Shungo Sawada and arranged by Norio Maeda. Titles include "Angel Love" (Jun Mayuzumi) and covers from various GS bands (for Group Sounds, a japanese rock genre) from The Tigers (Flower Necklace) to The Tempters (The Legend Of Emerald) by the Folk Crusaders (Kanashikute Yarikirenai).

Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quartet - Country Dream

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Post Bop, Jazz Rock

Debut album and jazz masterpiece recorded for the Takt Jazz Series by one of the most finest japanese jazz guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto featuring pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, bassist Yoshio Ikeda & drummer Motohiko Hino, brother of Terumasa. "Country Dream" was entirely arranged and composed by Hiromasa Suzuki except the opening track "Country Dream" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. Kiyoshi was a session musician and sideman in demand, playing alongside Motohiko Hino, Marcus Miller, pianist/arranger Norio Maeda or Yuji Ohno, former member of Akira Ishikawa's Count Buffalos, Terumasa Hino Sextet, Allan Praskin Quartet and Seiichi Nakamura Quintet. Titles include "Country Dream", "Step Ahead", "The Apple", "Limited Space" and "D-51".

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Yuji Ohno Trio - Mr. Happy-Gon

Year : 1971
Label : RCA
Serie : Modern Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Post Bop, Cool Jazz

"Mr. Happy-Gon" is the first solo album of iconic Japanese jazz pianist, Yuji Ohno featuring bassist Yoshio Ikeda & drummer Kazuyoshi Okayama, including jazz standards (the stunning "Alone Together") and originals (killer up-tempo "Mr Happy-Gon"). Yuji Ohno was mostly influenced by Burt Bacharach, Lalo Schifrin or Henri Mancini, he played as rookie musician at Keio University in the Jazz Club "Light Music Society" where he met pianists Masahiko Sato & Hiromasa Suzuki. He started as professional musician when he joined the jazz quintet of clarinetist Koji Fujika. In 1966, the legendary drummer Hideo Shiraki enrolled him in his quintet alongside Terumasa Hino & Kunimitsu Inaba, thereafter joined the Terumasa Hino Quartet in 1967, the Masahiko Togashi Quintet with Hiroshi Suzuki in 1969, and the Ryo Kawasaki Orchestra in 1970. During the seventies, Yuji Ohno became famous as film score composer ("Proof Of The Man"), soundtrack director of TV series ("Lupin The 3rd", "Captain Future", "Mad Police"), arranger/producer for various japanese songstress among Martha Miyake, Mieko Kaji, Eiko Shuri, Kimiko Kasai, Mieko Hirota, Hatsumi Shibata and the latin artists Sonia Rosa (Brazil), Graciela Susana (Argentina). Among his famous recordings are "Electro Keyboard Orchestra", "Sound Adventure Act.1" (amazing live performance feat. guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto, from 1975), "As Well Be Spring" with Ann Young or the duet album "Silent Dialogue" with keyboardist Masa Masuda in 1979.

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Ann Young & Yuji Ohno Trio - As Well Be Spring

Year : 1975
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Contempory Jazz

The only one leader album knew nowadays of jazz songstress Ann Young supported by the Yuji Ohno Trio featuring Yuji Ohno (p, el-p), Yoshio Ikeda (b) & Kazuyoshi Okayama (ds). This beautiful american voice to the soulful expressions, between Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson, came out in the spotlight thanks to Yuji Ohno, is virtually unknown outside Japan where she was a club singer and former vocalist for japanese pianist Masao Yagi. Ann Young sings the popular songs from the forties and the fifties including a killer version of "Speak Low" with Latin breaks and others jazz standards popularized by the great ladies of jazz among Sarah Vaughan ("It Might as Well Be Spring", 1949, "Old Devil Moon", 1954), Billy Holliday ("Don't Explain" 1944, "There Is No Greater Love" 1947) or Peggy Lee ("I Only Have Eyes For You" 1947). All tracks arranged by Yuji Ohno.

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