The Psychedelic Soul ~ Psychedelic Grooves From The Land Of The Rising Sun

Compilation of various Psychedelic grooves and progressive rock including Rock 'N' Roll standards, Soul & Pop covers recorded from 1967 to 1974, performed by some finest japanese GS (for Group Sounds), Pop singers & Jazz musicians featuring Jimmy Takeuchi, Reiko Mari, D'Swooners, Masahiko Sato, Minoru Muraoka, Takeshi Inomata & many more... Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 3 ~ Electronic Moods & Funky Sounds

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. This volume showcases the synthesizer & Fender Rhodes including Jazz Funk with electronic grooves and boogie sounds. Titles are performed by various legendary Fusion Jazz scene musicians of the seventies among others Akira Ishikawa, Hiromasa Suzuki, Mikio Masuda or Shunzo Ohno. All tracks recorded between 1973-1979, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

This Is Soul Jazz ~ A Tribute To Hammond Organ

Tribute to the legendary Hammond B3, the organ star, in compilation of thirteen tracks performed by the main actors of the Soul Jazz style featuring Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers, Jimmy McGriff, Brother Jack McDuff with David "Fathead" Newman, Odell Brown & The Organizers, Shirley Scott & The Soul Saxes and more. All tracks released under famous Atlantic, Blue Note or Prestige labels, recorded between 1966-1973. compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Sandro Brugnolini ‎– Overground

Year : 2008/1970
Label : Cinedelic Records/Sincro Edizioni Musicali
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic, Avant-garde, Soul Jazz

Alessandro Brugnolini is an italian composer and alto sax player, best known as former member of super italian jazz group, the Modern Jazz Gang active from 1956 to 1965. He was the leading composer & arranger for the band, whose the most significant albums among others "Miles Before And After" (1960) and the original soundtrack from "Gli Arcangeli" (1962) featuring  american Jazz vocalist Helen Merrill. In 1958, Sandro gains audience winning the prize of best original piece at National Jazz Festival for his composition "Arpo" recorded with the Modern Jazz Gang. With Stefano Torossi , he collaborated to several projects including the famous "Feelings" released in 1974, although he was uncredited. Sandro was also in charge of various background music for TV programs and original film scores such as "Musica Per Comment Sonori" (1969), "Fantabulous, Inc." (1967), "Gungala La Pantera Nuda" (1968) or "L'Uomo Dagli Occhiali A Specchio" (1975). "Overground" was composed with the contribution of Luigi Malatesta featuring the Rai TV session musicians (guitarists Silvano Chimenti & Angelo Baroncini, bassist Giovanni Tommaso, drummer Enzo Restuccia and organist Giorgio Carnini). Titles include Jazz Rock avant-garde (Brain), psychedelic ballads (Adrie's Dream, Roxy), Soul Jazz mod (Celluin, Simanite) and two bonus tracks (Cromaton, Cortex).

Keith Mansfield~Alan Hawkshaw ‎– The Big Beat

Year : 1969

Label : KPM

Genre : Jazz, Funk/Soul

Style : Beat, Easy Listening, Soul Jazz

KPM is the most famous british music libary label specialized in background music for TV shows, films & advertising. The Big Beat (KPM No. 1044) is among the most popular recording of the KPM 1000 series including various tracks composed by Keith Mansfield & Alan Hawkshaw whose three extracted from The Champ album by the Alan Hawkshaw group's The Mohawks ("Rocky Mountain Runabout", "Beat Me 'Til I'm Blue" & "Senior Thump"). Keith Mansfield is a conductor, arranger and composer in charge of many soundtracks and background music for various British TV's shows. He collaborated with Dusty Springfield, american Jazz songstress Salena Jones or trumpeter Maynard Fergusson. Alan Hawkshaw is a keyboardist best known as former member of The Shadows during the seventies and session musician for David Bowie, The Rolling Stone or French singer Serge Gainsbourg ("Vu De L'Extérieur", Rock Around The Bunker & "L'homme A Tête De Choux"). A lot of KPM materials produced by Mansfield & Hawkshaw have been sampled by U.S. Hip-Hop artists (Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Madlib, Gnarls Barkley among others) and recycled by cinema such as "Move, Move, Move" (Hawkshaw) in "Nacho Libre" in 2006 or "The Astro Daters" (Mansfield) in "Kill Bill". 

SIDE A : Keith Mansfield - Exclusive Blend / Alan Hawkshaw - Studio 69 / Alan Hawkshaw - Work Out / Alan Hawkshaw - Rocky Mountain Runabout / Alan Hawkshaw - Beat Me 'Til I'm Blue / Alan Hawkshaw - Roving Reporter / Alan Hawkshaw - Senior Thump / Alan Hawkshaw - Tap Footer  

SIDE B : Keith Mansfield - Teenage Travelogue / Keith Mansfield - Teenage Ton Up / Alan Hawkshaw - Delivery Date / Alan Hawkshaw - A Touch Of Nonsense / Alan Hawkshaw - Man On The Move / Keith Mansfield - The Mexican D.J. / Alan Hawkshaw - Debsville / Keith Mansfield - Red Square Stomp

Jimmy Takeuchi & His Exciters - Pops Best 24

Year : 1971

Label : Toshiba

Serie : Drum Drum Drum Series

Genre : Jazz, Rock

Style : Pop, Funk/Soul, Rock&Roll

First volume of three compilation series including cover songs of western Pop hits & Rock 'N Roll standards recorded by Jimmy Takeuchi from the late 60's to early 70's, featuring The Beatles, Simon, & Garfunkel, The Ventures, Elvis Presley, Bill Halley among others. This compilation brings together various songs previously released on others Jimmy Takeuchi's albums of the "DRUM DRUM DRUM" Toshiba series, divided in four cover themes (one for each side) including "Hits Of The Ventures" on side A (SAMPLE), "Hits Of The Beatles" on side B (SAMPLE), "Hits Of Pop" on side C (SAMPLE) and at last, "Hits Of Rock 'N Roll" on side D (SAMPLE). Although not best as the originals, some tracks are definitely worth listening such as amazing variation of jazz standard "Caravan", "Come Together", the Shocking Blue's "Venus", "Be Bop A Lula" and a insane version of "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris. All tracks performed by Jimmy Takeuchi & His Exciters, arranged by Kunihiko Suzuki.

Tom Scott & The L.A. Express - Tom Cat

Year : 1975
Label : Ode Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

The Last of two albums for Tom Scott featuring The L.A. Express before to continue their own career. The quartet back to the original formation of the "Miles Of Aisles" live performance, as backing band of folk-rock songstress Joni Mitchell, Joe Sample and Larry Carlton leaving the band replaced by Larry Nash & Robben Ford. The influence from the two Crusaders is still being felt on "Tom Cat", including the killer funk "Rock Island Rocket", "Love Poem" featuring Joni Mitchell & the spanish fusion "Rondo".

MUSICIANS : Tom Scott - woodwinds, percussion, keys - Robben Ford - electric & accoustic guitar - Max Bennett - bass - Larry Nash - electric Piano, organ, synthesizer  -  John Guerin - drums, percussion 

Tom Scott And The L.A. Express (Self-Titled)

Year : 1974
Label : Ode Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

The L.A. Express is a Los Angeles supergroup originally formed in 1973 as backing band for jazz saxophonist Tom Scott, playing crossover jazz featuring the two Crusaders, Larry Carlton & Joe Sample. The band was recruited by Joni Mitchell for her live performance in 1974 (Miles Of Aisles) and later for the studio album, "Hissing Of Summer Lawns" in 1975. Tom Scott is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, former member of the legendary Blues Brothers band, session musician for Gabor Szabo, Quincy Jones, Billy Cobham, George Harrison, Paul McCartney or The Grateful Dead, and composer of famous TV series themes "Starsky & Hutch" and "The Streets Of San Francisco". Titles include four Scott's compositions "King Cobra", "Easy Life", "Spindrift", "Strut Your Stuff" and variation of "Dahomey Dance" by John Coltrane.

MUSICIANS : Tom Scott - horns, woodwind - Joe Sample - keyboards - Larry Carlton - guitar - Max Bennett - bass - John Guerin - drums & percussion

Kazuo Yashiro Trio - Black Nag

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Bossa Nova

"Black Nag" is an essential japanese jazz album, one of the most wanted "Takt Jazz Series" recorded by pianist Kazuo Yashiro and mixed by famous engineer Okihiko Sugano, the japanese Rudy Van Gelder. The album is a succession of various styles from Bossa Nova (Carolina, Favela) to Soul Jazz (Black Coffee, Georgia On My Mind) by Ragtime (Marionette Blues, Lady Madonna), including also pop variations (Love For Sale) and up-tempo (Favela) produced by the drums & bass duo, Masanaga Harada and the band leader of The Exciters, drummer Jimmy Takeuchi. The iconic title-track was selected in the "Shibuya Jazz Classics" & "Midnight Tokyo (Club Jazz Music)", two famous compilations, supervised by Sleep Walker & Konishi Yasuharu.

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A Day In The Life ~ The Beatles by Various Artists

The popular cover songs from The Beatles performed by the giants of Jazz, Soul & Pop music. The group forever marked the history of music as evidenced these eighteen incredible tracks, recorded between 1966-1974, featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Grant Green, Ramsey Lewis, Sergio Mendes, Jackie Wilson, Sandie Shaw & many more... Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Brazilian Tapestry Vol. 2

More Latin grooves from Pop, Bossa Nova & Jazz Samba performed by various brazilian and american artists, a compilation of 24 amazing songs recorded between 1965-1971 featuring Quincy Jones, Baden Powell, Marcos Valle, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben, Elis Regina, Claudette Soares & many others... All tracks compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.