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.

Yuji Ohno Trio With Friends - Boss Piano

Year : 2012
Label : LUPINTIC/VAP
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Jazz Funk

"BOSS PIANO" is among best productions recorded by Yuji Ohno from the last decade on his own label "LUPINTIC". In fact, from Yuji Ohno Trio With Friends only "Satin Doll" is performed by the trio formed with bassist Yosuke Inoue and drummer Yoshihito Eto, for the rest feature all members of his Lupintic Five jazz funk band. From R&B to Latin Jazz by Pop Music, Yuji Ohno revisits several popular songs of the 20th century, "Georgia" by Ray Charles, "What Now, My Love?" ("Et Maintenant" by Gilbert Bécaud), "Goin' Out Of My Head", "See See Rider" and great jazz standards including Duke Ellinghton's "Satin Doll", Red Garland's "Rojo" or The Afro-Cuban jazz classic "Manteca" by Dizzie Gillepsie. All tracks arranged by Yuji Ohno.

MUSICIANS : Yuji Ohno - keyboards - Yosuke Inoue - bass - Yoshihito Eto - drums - Keiji Matsushima - trumpet - Hisatsugu Suzuki - soprano sax, tenor sax - Satoshi Izumi - guitar - Eijiro Nakagawa - trombone - Shinobu Ishizaki - baritone sax - Masato Kawase - percussion 

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Yuji Ohno Trio - LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ] - Plays The "Standards"

Year : 2003
Label : VAP
Serie : LUPIN THE THIRD [JAZZ]
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Cool Jazz

Sixth volume from the Lupin The Third [JAZZ] serie, the jazz cover album dedicated to the great jazz standards of the 20th century recorded by the Yuji Ohno Trio featuring drummer Kenichiro Murata & new bassist Masayuki Tawarayama who replaces Yoshio Suzuki. Titles include eight great jazz standards released from early thirty to late fifties among others, Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues", Joseph Kosma's "Autumn Leaves", "S'Wonderful" by Victor Young or "When You Wish Upon A Star" (theme from popular animated Disney's film Pinocchio), plus two Lupin The 3rd classic songs, "Theme From Lupin The Third" & "Treasure Of Time". All tracks arranged by Yuji Ohno. 

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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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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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Kimiko Kasai - Just Friends (Kimiko Kasai Concert)

Year : 1970
Label : King Records
Serie : New Emotional Work Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Contempory Jazz, Vocal

Recording live from performance at the Yamaha Hall, Tokyo, considered as the debut album of best known japanese jazz songstress Kimiko Kasai featuring the Yuji Ohno Trio including pinaist Yuji Ohno, bassist Takeshi Mizuhashi and drummer Tetsujiro Ohara. Nicknamed the "Marlena Shaw of Japan", Kimiko Kasai was spotted by pianist Yuzuru Sera in 1964, and introduced her on the japanese jazz scene, joining up his group "The Modern Playing Mate" and recording the "Yuzuru Sera Trio Introducing Kimiko Kasai" album in 1968. In her fruitful career, she sung supported by prestigious musicians of the international jazz field, such as Mal Waldron (One For Lady - 1971), Gil Evans (Satin Doll, 1972), Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson (In Person, 1974), Kohsuke Mine (Yellow Carcass In Blue, 1975), Cedar Walton (Kimiko Is Here, 1977) or Herbie Hancock (Butterfly, 1979). Titles include the great standards of vocal Jazz (By The Time I Get To Phoenix, There Will Never Be Another You) and cover songs (Sunny).

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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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