Agent Double-O-Soul ~ An Anthology Of Music Library

24 musical masterpieces extracted from the late sixties to early seventies, recorded for various screen movies, TV shows, advertising or others commercial programs. Mostly were released under famous music library labels including British KPM, French Montparnasse 2000, or Télémusic catalogues. This compilation of amazing cinematic grooves featuring Alan Hawkshaw, John Schroeder, Janko Nilovic, Vladimir Cosma, Alan Moorhouse, Sandro Brugnolini & many more... Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Joe Henderson - In Japan

Year : 1973/1971
Label : Milestone Records/Victor

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz

Style : Hard Bop, Post Bop, Bossa Nova

Originally released as "Henderson's Habiliment" on Victor in 1971, "In Japan" is a live recording performed at the Junk Club, Tokyo, by american saxophonist Joe Henderson featuring pianist Hideo Ichikawa, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba & drummer Motohiko Hino. Titles include jazz standards from Thelonious Monk (Round Midnight) & Kenny Dorham (Blue Bossa), Henderson's original compositions "Junk Blues" and the variation of his "In 'N' Out" song called "Out 'N' In" that replaces "Black Narcissus" on the original release.

LISTEN SAMPLE

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 7 ~ Playing Bossa Nova, Jazz & Samba Again !

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. Following the Volume 2, this compilation bringing together other titles ranging from Bossa Nova to Jazz Samba styles including Jazz standards & Brazilian classics of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben, João Gilberto & Edu Lobo. It features Konosuke Saijo, Sadao Watanabe, Shungo Sawada, Takeshi Inomata, Yuji Ohno, Akira Ishikawa, George Kawaguchi, Keitaro Miho, Hozan Yamamoto & Toshiaki Yokota. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Helen Merrill - Bossa Nova In Tokyo

Year : 1967
Label : Victor
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova

The third album recorded in Japan by Helen Merrill with the Sadao Watanabe Quintet featuring Masabumi Kikuchi (p), Isao Suzuki (b), Masahiko Togashi (ds),  Sadanori Nakamure (g) & Hideo Miyata (per), conducted and arranged Norio Maeda. Helen Merrill revisits the greatest hits of Bossa Nova among others, original compositions from the forerunner Antonio Carlos Jobim ("So Danço Samba", "How Insensitive", "Agua Di Beber"), just as some Japanese popular Pop songs ("Yume Wa Yoru Hiraku", "Shinjite Itai") & Jazz standards ("Fly Me To The Moon", "The Shadow Of Your Smile"). 

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.

LISTEN SAMPLE

Brazilian Tapestry Vol. 3

Still more Latin grooves from the Brazil '70 including Jazz Funk, Bossa Nova & MPB featuring Marilia Medalha, Eumir Deodato, Di Melo, Tom Zé, Airto Moreira, Walter Wanderley, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso & many more... All tracks recorded between 1967-1974, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 6

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. This volume mixes Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Samba & Soul Jazz, featuring Terumasa Hino, Sadao Watanabe, Isao Suzuki, Kimiko Kasai & Gil Evans, Mieko Hirota with Billy Taylor Trio, Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki & many more... All tracks recorded between 1967-1973, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

SUPERSOUND

This is Super Sound ! A collection of some incredible catchy beats and insane groovy sounds including heavy funk & crossover jazz, featuring Manu Dibango, The Fatback Band, Kool & The Gang, Betty Davis, Oliver Nelson, Earth Wind And Fire, Oneness Of Juju, O'Donel Levy, The Sisters Love, Incredible Bongo Band, Eric Burdon & War, Jimmy Castor Bunch and many more... All tracks recorded between 1968-1976, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop​.

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.

Akira Ishikawa & The Gentures - Beat Pops / Drum Hits

Year : 1970
Label : Denon
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock, Pop

Originally recorded in 1969, "Beat Pops / Drum Hits" is a cover album of international pop hits from the late sixties, performed by the first incarnation of the Count Buffalos conducted by jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa. Titles include various western popular songs such as "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, "Come Together" by The Beatles, "Green River" by The Creedance, "Love Me Tonight" by Tom Jones, "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones' classic "Honky Tonk Women". Among others titles include a french song, "Aime Ceux Qui T'aiment" by Danièle Vidal, best known in Japan than in France under "Tenshi No Rakugaki" name. All tracks arranged by Masahiko Aoi.

MUSICIANS : Akira Ishikawa - drums - Takeshi Onodera - percussion - Hiromasa Suzuki - keyboards - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar - Masaoki Terakawa & Isao Eto - bass - Takeru Muraoka - soprano saxophone - Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

LISTEN SAMPLE

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 5

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. Following the volume 1, the volume 5 bringing together other titles ranging from Soul Jazz to Hard Bop by Post Bop style, including various jazz standards and original compositions by Kazuo Yashiro, Yuji Ohno, Norio Maeda, Hiroshi Suzuki, Takehiro Honda, Shungo Sawada & Takeru Muraoka, Jake H. Conception, Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, Akira Ishikawa, Takeshi Inomata, Keitaro Miho, The Freedom Unity. All tracks released between 1969-1972. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.