Brasilia Modern Six - Estréia

Year : 1969
Label : RCA/Victor
Genre : Pop, Latin Jazz
Style : MPB, Bossa Nova, Samba, Soft Rock

Obscure Brazilian Soft Rock group from the late 60's, formed by a chorus of six members who sings as well in english as in portugese, and a backing band featuring organist reminding the Walter Wanderley's style. In the same way as the Mario Castro Neves & Samba S. A.'s albums, titles include typical brazilian jazz style with bossa & samba songs (Roda De Samba, Homem Zero, Balanço De Criança),  but also international pop standards (a lounge version of the Doors' classic "Light My Fire"), and latin cover songs (The theme song of Chile movie "Morir un Poco", "Viento Dile A la Lluvia" from Argentina rock group Los Gatos). 

We've Got The Jazz Vol. 6 ~ Various Verses Of Hip-Hop & Jazz

Back to basics through various "verses" of Hip-Hop & Jazz recorded during the last decade, featuring Nu-Jazz artists Soil & Pimp Sessions, United Future Organization, Grand Pianoramax, Yoko Kanno, Mo' Horizons, Gerardo Frisina, Sleep Walker, Uyama Hiroto & many more... All tracks released between 2000-2010, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven - Exciting Electric Bass

Year : 1969
Label : Victor
Serie : Perfect Sound 6
Genre : Jazz, Pop
Style : Jazz Rock

"Exciting Electric Bass" is a jazz rock and covers album recorded by Isao Etoh & His Pick-Up Seven with japanese pop arranger Kunihiko Suzuki. It focuses on western pop hits & Soul Music including The Supremes (You Keep Me Hangin' On), The Tempations (I'm Gonna Make You Love Me) The Beatles (Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Back In The U.S.S.R), passing by The Jackson 5 (Maybe Tomorrow). Isao Etoh is a japanese session musician in demand who contributed as bassist to the success of the GS japanese rock genre during the sixties, recruited by Jackie Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets, The Jaguars, The Wild Ones or Terry and his Blue Jeans (Takeshi Terauchi). He collaborated to over 5000 recordings of pop songs, supporting various famous japanese pop icons (Linda Yamamoto, Yukari Ito, Jun Mayuzumi or Mieko Hirota). In the late sixties, he joined alongside the jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa, the backing band formed for the Japanese version of Broadway musical "Hair". Thereafter, he became a regular bassist in the Count Buffalos band of Akira Ishikawa. From the late sixties, Isao recorded a pop covers albums serie (like "Golden Electric Bass" with the Black Panthers) and joined several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd (Exciting Rock Beat, 1969), Kiyoshi Sugimoto Quartet (Playboy Sound - Get Back, 1969). At last, during the seventies, Isao played for Masabumi Kikuchi ("Masabumi Kikuchi + Gil Evans Orchestra" in 1972), Kimiko Kasai, Jiro Inagaki & Motohiko Hino.

Masahiko Sato - Kanashimi No Belladonna (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 2015/1975
Label : Finders Keepers/Cinevox
Genre : Soundtrack, Stage & Screen, Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock

Kanashimi No Belladonna (Belladonna Of Sadness) is the final act in the Animerama trilogy, a kind of "pink" film serie conceived by Osamu Tezuka which includes Senya Ichiya Monogatari (A Thousand And One Nights - 1969) & Kureopatora (Cleopatra - 1970). Produced by the Japanese animation studio Mushi Production, directed by Eiichi Yamamoto, Belladona is based on the book "La Sorcière" (The Witch), a story written in 1862 by French historian Jules Michelet. The music was entirely composed by the most-avant garde japanese jazz pianist, Masahiko Sato, recorded at Aoi studio in 1972 with probably a part of Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd ensemble, featuring his wife Chinatsu Nakayama on vocals. Only one EP was released in Japan in 1973 (including singles "Kanashimi No Belladonna" & "Jeanne No Namida", performed by japanese songtress, Mayumi Tachibana), but two years later, the soundtrack finally comes in Europe thanks to Italian label Cinevox, and now reissued by Finders Keepers Records. Sato created for Belladona, an atmosphere of certain deep melancholy, a free jazz/progressive rock score in the same wayof his "Amalgamation" 1971 project mixing psychedelic jazz with orchestral music incorporating experimental sounds, suspense & action music elements. Titles includes all Sato's compositions for the film, except "Belladonna (Reprise)", "Jeanne No Namida" & the main love theme written by Asei Kobayashi and sung by Mayumi Tachibana.

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 11 ~ New Stream In Latin Jazz

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. Volume 11 is dedicated to Latin Jazz including Caribbean sounds & Tropical flavor featuring Hiroshi Fukumura, Naoya Matsuoka, Kazuo Yoshida, Toshiyuki Honda, Tadaaki Misago, Mikio Masuda, Takashi Mizuhashi, Sadao Watanabe & many more... All tracks released between 1973-1981, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Golden Boys - Golden Boys

 

Year : 1973

Label : Odeon

Genre : Pop, Rock
Style : Latin Rock, MPB, Samba Rock

Golden Boys is one of the finest vocal groups coming from the Jovem Guarda movement (Young Guard), which bloomed under the spotlight of Brazilian Pop music in the sixties. Originally formed as a quartet in 1958, Golden Boys is a brazilian rock band composed of three brothers : Roberto (former member from 1958 to 1971), Ronaldo, Renato Corrêa José Maria and their cousin, Valdir Anunciação, all from the same family as the Trio Esperanza. In 1973, The quartet have already eight albums to their credit, whose "Fumacê" released in 1970 just before Roberto left the band (included the hit "Se Você Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear"). The quatuor contributed repeatedly to various productions of others brazilian artists, their most famous includes collaborations for Marcos Valle ("Terra De Ninguém" in 1968, "Dia Da Vitória" in 1969, "Esperando O Messias" in 1970). For most of the songs, we can find the trademark of "Abbey Road" sound by The Beatles, more than an evidence that the group was mostly influenced by this other famous quartet from Liverpool, in particular the tracks "Deixa Falar (Let Your Yeah Be Yeah)" & "Estranho (Strange One)".

Bossa Rio - Alegria!

 

Year : 1970

Label : Blue Thumb Records

Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Smooth Jazz, MPB

Second album produced for the american market of the brazilian group Bossa Rio (not to be confused with the Sergio Mendes's Bossa Rio Sextet), featuring Gracinha Leporace (Sergio Mendes's wife), Pery Ribeiro, Manfredo Fest (org), Octavio Bailly Jr (b) from Bossa Três, Ronald Mesquita (ds) and Dwight Dickerson (p). Discovered and produced by Sergio Mendes, based on the Brasil '66 legacy, Bossa Rio borrows the similar recipe of the famous brazilian band, namely, a mixture of Jazz, Bossa Nova & Western Pop Music. The band performs the classics of Bossa Nova (keeping with their brazilian roots), from Jorge Ben (Que Pena, Zazueira) & Marcos Valle (Mustang Cor De Sangue), Jazz (Girl Talk) & covers songs by The Bealtes including others international pop hits (Spinning Wheel, The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Don't Go Breaking My Heart).

A Soul Flavor Vol. 2 ~ Deep Soul & Funk Relics

Rare Deep Soul & Funk Relics released from 1966 to 1974, featuring Archie Bell & The Drells, Mary Jane Hooper, Stevie Wonder, Fontella Bass, Norma Jean, Joe Tex, Eddie Bo & many more... All tracks compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Universal Togetherness Band - Universal Togetherness Band

Year : 2015

Label : The Numero Group

Genre : Jazz, Funk/Soul, New Wave

Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

The first issue of Chicago jazz funk band "The Universal Togetherness Band" lead by songwriter/producer Andre Gibson and released, at last, after over thirty years by The Numero Group label. This compilation brings together some of their best session recordings,  from 1979 to 1982, under the Columbia College audio engineering program. In spite of the many hours passed in the studio, neither album based on UTB's own material has been released, the band never had the opportunity to sign a record deal. UTB fuses Funk, Soul & Disco rhythms with Jazz breaks, offers a kind of synthesis between P-Funk & the New Wave nascent. A catchy music as the Nile Rodgers' Chic band (the reminiscence of the bass line from Bernard Edwards), Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang or Prince, have could produce during the late seventies till the edge of the eighties.

  

MUSICIANS : Andre Gibson - vocals, guitar, vibes - Leslie Misher - lead guitar - Fred Misher - bass, backing vocals - Paul Hanover - harmonica, piano - Arnold Gibson - drums, bass - Louis Sanford - percussion

TRACKLIST : Ain't Gonna Cry (1979) - Real Thrill (1979) - Try Try Try (1980) - My Sentiment (1982) - Once In A Lifetime (1981) - Taken By Love  (1979) - Call For Love (1980) - I Want You (1979)

Serge Gainsbourg - Le Cinéma De Serge Gainsbourg

Year : 2015
Label : DECCA
Series : Back To Black
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen, Soundtrack
Style : Chanson, Psychedelic, Pop, Rock, Soul Jazz

Compilation of various works composed by Serge Gainsbourg for french directors (among others Bertrand Blier, Georges Lautner & Michel Audiar), including 14 cinematographic pieces recorded in the sixties, exactly from 1959 to 1969. Since "L'Eau A La Bouche" (1959), his first soundtrack arranged by Alain Goraguer, Serge Gainsbourg was able to surround himself  by others talented arrangers/composers, most of the time, the French Michel Colombier & Jean-Claude Vannier on several films : Si J'étais Un Espion (1967), Anna (1966), Manon 70 (1968) & Le Pacha (1968) with Michel Colombier ; Les Chemins De Katmandou (1969), Slogan (1969) & Une Veuve En Or (1969) with Jean-Claude Vannier (also in charge of the cult Serge Gainsbourg's album "Histoire De Mélodie Nelson"). The tracklist includes various songs sung by Serge Gainsbourg (Requiem Pour Un Con, L’Escroc), Anna Karina (Sous Le Soleil Exactement), Serge Gainsbourg featuring Jane Birkin (La Chanson De Slogan) and various unreleased tracks extracted from films "Si J'étais Un Espion" (Breakdown), "Les Chemins De Katmandou" (Générique & Transe Party Des Haschichiens), "Manon 70" (New Delire Again), "Le Pacha" (Un Noël 67) & "Slogan" (Paris-Bombay).

Albert Ayler - Free Jazz

Year : 1979/1964

Label : Vogue/Freedom Records

Genre : Jazz

Style : Free Jazz, Hard Bop

Although he was recognized by John Coltrane, Albert Ayler (1936-1970) remained an accursed artist who divided critics, while he was a brilliant Avant-Garde saxophonist and a eminent actor of the Free Jazz movement during the early sixties. Originally released under "My Name Is Albert Ayler" on Debut Records (Jazz label founded by Charles Mingus & Max Roach), "Free Jazz" was recorded live in 1963 in Copenhagen for the Danish National Radio. The formation consists on two danish jazz musicians, the rookie Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (16 years old bassist), pianist Niels Brønsted and american drummer, Ronnie Gardiner. Titles are mostly played in the Hard Bop style including original composition "C.T." by Ayler, jazz standards (On Green Dolphin Street, Bye Bye Blackbird)and others cover songs from Charlie Parker (Billie's Bounce) to George Gershwin (Summertime), all with free improvisations.