Ryo Kawasaki Orchestra - Easy Listening Jazz Guitar

Year : 1970
Label : Polydor
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Contemporary Jazz, Bossa Nova

Debut album of the best known jazz guitarist outside Japan, recorded with a quartet formed by pianist Yuji Ohno, bassist Yoshio Suzuki & drummer Hiroshi Murakami, supported by arranger Norio Maeda. Ryo Kawasaki started young in the late sixties as member in the first incarnation of the Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media (1970-1971) and in the Takeshi Inomata's Sound Limited, two prominent prolific Jazz Rock formations in Japan during the early seventies. Settled in New York from 1973, he recorded several fusion albums to the eclectic styles exploring Rock 'N' Roll as well as Funk & Soul, Latin, Spanish folk (Flamenco) and even Indian music. He gained an international recognition when he joined the Gil Evans Orchestra from "Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix" album in 1974, originally planned with the legendary rock guitarist. Following, he become a sideman in demand for many jazz giants including Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton or Cedar Walton. In the mid-80s, he turns to the electronic music in conceiving software musical for computers. As the title suggests "Easy Listening Jazz Guitar" consists of mainstream jazz orientation from Bossa to Pop Music including various pop cover songs of Burt Bacharach, The Beatles or The Mamas & The Papas and jazz standards by Henri Mancini, Jimmy Webb or Cole Porter. 

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Takehiro Honda Trio - The Trio

Year : 1970
Label : Trio Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Modal

Recorded with sound engineer Okihiko Sugano, the second solo album of Takehiro Honda with his new jazz trio featuring drummer Fumio Watanabe & bassist Yoshio Suzuki. "Chin" Suzuki was his regular bassist from 1969 to 1972, recording no less of five albums whose his debut album and 1972 best japanese jazz recording award "This Is Honda". Titles include "This Guy's In Love With You" composed by Bacharach, the Jazz standard "Fall In Love Too Easily" and three original compositions by Honda : the modal "Hakai To Jojyo", "CMT & T" and "Emergency", probably inspired by the Tony Williams' song who later will play with Honda.

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Sadao Watanabe - Live At The Junk

Year : 1970
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Jazz Rock

Amazing recording live performed in concert by the Sadao Watanabe Quartet at the Jazz Club "Junk", Ginza, Tokyo, 26 & 27th december, 1969. Sadao plays with his regular rhythm section from 1968 to 1970 featuring guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, bassist Yoshio Suzuki & his brother, the drummer Fumio Watanabe. "Live At The Junk" is the synthesis of Sadao's career, started as a leader in 1961, including various recordings ranging from Bossa Nova to Jazz Rock by Modal. Titles include jazz standards from Charlie Parker (Cheryl) & Jimmy Van Heusen (Here's That Rainy Day), Bossa Nova compositions from Antonio Carlos Jobim (No More Blues, Granny's Samba~Ending Felicidade), two famous cover pop songs (Georgia On My Mind, This Guy's In Love With You) and the original Sadao's Jazz Rock composition, "If I Said The Sky Was Fallin" taken from the japanese TV drama "Matte Masu Wa" broadcasted on TBS from 1969.

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Takehiro Honda Trio - This Is Honda

Year : 1972
Label : Trio Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Post Bop, Hard Bop

Best Jazz recording award of the Swing Journal for the year 1972, the masterpiece recommended by the japanese jazz magazine from the prolific pianist, Takehiro Honda, who will sign seven others albums on Trio Records between 1969 & 1972. It's the second album by the Takehiro Honda Trio with the same formation featuring bassist Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki and Sadao's brother  Fumio Watanabe on drums, all supported by famous japanese sound engineer, Okihiko Sugano who also worked on several Sadao Watanabe's recordings during the seventies. Titles include popular song "You Don't Know What Love Is"  from "Keep 'Em Flying" 1941 movie, jazz standards as "Bye Bye Blackbird" and Thelonius Monk's classic "Round About Midnight". All tracks arranged by Takehiro Honda & recorded at Iino Hall, Tokyo, mixed by Okihiko Sugano.

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Takehiro Honda - T. Honda Meets Rhythm Section Featuring S. Watanabe

Year : 1970
Label : Trio Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Modal

Debut album of jazz pianist Takehiro Honda, recorded in Yamaha Hall in 1969, the first of eight albums serie recorded for Trio Electronics. The Takehiro Honda's rhythm section is based on the Sadao Watanabe Quartet featuring saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, bassist Yoshio Suzuki and Sadao's brother, the drummer Fumio Watanabe. This first experience with the Sadao Watanabe Quartet, will bring Honda to enroll Yoshio Suzuki & Fumio Watanabe for his new jazz trio and later join the Sadao formation from 1973 to 1978. Titles include popular Jazz standards (By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Stella By Starlight), a variation on "Hey Jude" from The Beatles and his own compositions (Minton Blues, Ain't Tell You A Good Way But, Quiet Sea). All tracks arranged by Takehiro Honda.

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Yoshio Suzuki - Friends

Year : 1973

Label : CBS

Genre : Jazz

Style : Hard Bop, Modal

The debut album as a leader by Yoshio Suzuki featuring saxophonist Kohsuke Mine, pianist Takehiro Honda, drummer Hiroshi Murakami & special guest flutist Hideo Miyata. "Friends" is an essential japanese jazz masterpiece ranging from Hard Bop (The Past, K'S Waltz) to Modal jazz (Burning Point) passing by Bossa Nova (Samba De Chico), it includes only Suzuki's own compositions. Before to settle in New York in 1973, Yoshio was sideman for Sadao Watanabe, Takehiro Honda from 1969 to 1973, played for Masabumi Kikuchi, Yoshiaki Masuo (24 & Winds Of Barcelona) and Kimiko Kasai (What's New & Satin Doll). In US, he played alongside Stan Getz as his regular bassist, Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker and joined the famous Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers. During 1999 to 2001, he was member of the Yuji Ohno Trio on the first three albums from the LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] serie. 

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Yoshiaki Masuo - 24

Year : 1970

Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock

The masterpiece of Yoshiaki Masuo is an essential album of japanese progressive jazz featuring Sadao Watanabe, Yoshio Suzuki, Hideo Ichikawa & Motohiko Hino. "24" is the exact age of Masuo in 1970, who explores the music of the Woodstock generation, following the Jimmy Hendrix steps. The album is an incursion in the Rock 'N' Roll genre from Blues Rock (Dirty Mashy Toe) to Folk Rock (Shirley), including original songs by Masuo, the jazz rock anthem "Round Trip : Coming" composed with Sadao, "Uptight" to the free expressions, the jazz ballad "Soft Sadness" and "Corvallis" with Sadao on flute. All tracks arranged by Yoshiaki Masuo.

MUSICIANS : Yoshiaki Masuo - guitar - Hideo Ichikawa - keyboards - Yoshio Suzuki - bass - Motohiko Hino - drums - Hiro Tsunoda - drums, percussions - Sadao Watanabe - flute, percussions - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Takashi Imai - trombone - Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

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Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] - The 3rd Funky & Pop

Year : 2001
Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]
Genre : Jazz
Style : Big Band, Cool Jazz

Yuji Ohno featuring Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki & Kenichiro Murata in LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] Part III, the last album with the original formation before Suzuki left the trio. As suggests the title, the musical approach is a bit different than the two first previous releases, including jazz expressions with soul grooves and pop rhythms. Titles include classics songs composed for the Lupin The 3rd serie as always opening "Theme From Lupin III", "Treasures Of Time" (Cagliostro No Shiro's movie theme) and "Zenigata Rock" (Zenigata March/Don't Be Shy Zenigata), variation on the standard Ohno's song "Mayflower" (originally recorded for "Electro Keyboard Orchestra" project in 1975) and new original compositions. All tracks composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno. 

MUSICIANS :  Yuji Ohno - piano - Yoshio Suzuki - wood bass - Kenichiro Murata - drums - Tatsuji Yokohama - percussion - Makoto Hirahara, Atsushi Tsuzurano & Kazuhiko Kondo - saxophones - Shin Kazuhara, Yuji Osada & Norio Koyama - trumpet - Eijiro Nakagawa, Masanori Hirohara & Masaki Domoto - trombone

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Kimiko Kasai - What's New

Year : 1973
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Vocal, Cool Jazz

The fifth album by Kimiko Kasai supported by the Masahiro Kikuchi Trio featuring pianist Masahiro Kikuchi, bassist Yoshio Suzuki & drummer Hiroshi Murakami. Kimiko takes over the great standards of jazz vocal that performed the great Ladies of Jazz, such as Billy Holiday (But Not for Me), Ella Fitzgerald (Close Your Eyes), Sarah Vaughan (Body & Soul), Nancy Wilson (But Beautiful) or also Helen Merrill (What's New). All tracks arranged by Masahiro Kikuchi and produced by Kiyoshi Itoh.

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Kimiko Kasai With Gil Evans Orchestra - Satin Doll

Year : 1972

Label : CBS

Genre : Jazz

Style : Vocal, Big Band, Smooth

Best Kimiko Kasai's album ever recorded with the Gil Evans Orchestra featuring some american and japanese jazz greats among Billy Harper, Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson, Kohsuke Mine, Yoshio Suzuki or Hiroshi Fukumura. The tracklist consists of jazz standards including "Satin Doll" by Duke Ellington, "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Willie Dixon or also "I'm Walkin'" by Fats Domino played in a jazz funk variation. All tracks arranged by Gil Evans, produced by Kiyoshi Itoh and recorded at Tokyo.

MUSICIANS : Kimiko Kasai - vocal - Gil Evans - electric piano - Masayuki Takayanagi - guitar - Yoshio Suzuki - bass - Yoshiyuki Nakamura - drums - Kohsuke Mine - soprano & Alto saxophone - Marvin Peterson - trumpet - Hiroshi Fukumura & Hiroshi Munekiyo - trombone - Billy Harper - flute

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Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] - The 2nd

Year : 2000
Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]
Genre : Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Latin Jazz

Second album of the Yuji Ohno Trio featuring Yuji Ohno (p), Yoshio Suzuki (b) and Kenichiro Murata (ds), released for the LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] serie, including Cool Jazz & Latin expressions. As on their previous record, the trio is supported by guests musicians whose the japanese jazz great Kiyoshi Sugimoto on guitar, Joe Yamada on tenor saxophone, Tatsuji Yokoyama on percussion, Toku on flugelhorn, vocal and others singers. Titles include variations on opening & ending themes from Lupin The 3rd featuring songstress Cynthia Dewberry (Lupin The Third) & Lileth (Take Me, Stolen Moments), theme from Cagliostro No Shiro (Treasures Of Time), "Deep Night Call" & "Treasures Of Time" feat. Toku. All tracks composed & arranged by Yuji Ohno.

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Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]

Year : 1999

Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]

Genre : Jazz

Style : Cool  Jazz, Latin Jazz

The first Yuji Ohno Trio's album opening the new LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] serie, released under VAP label since 1999. "Lupin The Third Jazz" introduces his new line-up featuring japanese jazz giant Yoshio Suzuki (b) & Kenichiro Murata (ds), his mostly jazz trio formation of the early decade 2000. Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki is one of the best japanese jazz bassist who evolved in groups the Gil Evans Orchestra, The Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and was sideman for saxophonist Kohsuke Mine, pianists Masabumi Kikuchi & Takehiro Honda. The trio is supported by guests musicians including Yasushi Ichihara, former member of "You & The Explosion Band" (replaces Kenichiro Murata on "Love Theme"), percussionist Tatsuji Yokoyama, saxophonist Joe Yamada and other japanese jazz great, the guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto. The tracklist is based on classics songs from Lupin The 3rd revisited including variations on the opening & ending themes (Theme From Lupin III, Love Squall, Love Theme), on "Funny Walk In Old Fashion" (Funny Walk) and new compositions by Yuji Ohno (O Men A Mor, Members Only). All tracks arranged & composed by Yuji Ohno.

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Yoshiaki Masuo And His Group - Winds Of Barcelona

Year : 1969

Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz

Debut album in the Montgomery's style from the japanese boss of guitar featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Kazuo Yashiro, Larry Sunaga,  Yoshio Suzuki & Fumio Watanabe from the Takehiro Honda Trio. Influenced by Wes Montgomery and the Grant Green's works, Yoshiaki Masuo has been spotted by saxophonist Sadao Watanabe who launched his professional career in joining up his quartet from 1967. In the late sixties, he was enrolled in the Sharps & Flats by band leader Nobuo Hara and played for pianist Takehiro Honda on his debut album within Sadao Watanabe Quartet. In 1971, he moved to New York where he played for his fellow countryman bassist Teruo Nakamura, prestigious musicians like Lenny White, Michael Brecker, Chick Korea or Elvin Jones, and later in 1973 within the Sonny Rollins group. Titles include pop cover songs by Laura Nyro (Stoned Soul Picnic), Simon & Garfunkel (Scarborough Fair), Bacharach & David  (I Say A Little Prayer, What The World Needs Now Is Love), tribute to Wes Montgomery (One For Wes) and the Sadao's Bossa tune "Gary's Tune".

MUSICIANS : Yoshiaki Masuo & Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Hideo Miyata - flute - Yoshio Suzuki - bass - Fumio Watanabe - drums - Larry Sunaga - percussions - Kazuo Yashiro - organ - Nobuhiro Suzuki - vibraphone, marimba

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