Norma Jean & Ray J. ‎- Raising Hell

Year : 2015/1974
Label : Superfly Records/Hep-Me
Genre : Soul
Style : Funk/Soul

Norma Jean is a gospel songstress associated with the arranger/producer Raymond Jones from New Orleans, both "outsiders" of the Soul Legends. “Raising Hell” is a rare dynamite deep-soul record out from the southern soul scene which was first released on the Hep-Me label in 1974. This "Holy Grail" was finally reissued 40 years later, by parisian record store Superfly Records, in collaboration of the japanese label Disques Dessinée. Titles include originals and covers from Dr. John (Right Time-Wrong Place) or Stax songwriter Joe Broussard (Everlasting Love), solos & duets with heavy funk (Raising Hell, I've Taken Over) and beautiful love songs (We Love Each Other).

MUSICIANS : Norma Jean - vocal - Ray J. - piano, trumpet, vocal - Walter Payton - bass - Herman Ernest - drums - Alvin Thomas - flute - Teddy Royal - guitar - Alvin Thomas - tenor saxophone - Clyde Kerr Jr. &  John Longo - trumpet

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 10

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. This volume is devoted to the Jazz standards including some Soul covers, taken back by the main protagonists from the Japanese Jazz's "New Wave" among others Toshiko Akiyoshi, Takehiro Honda, Masabumi Kikuchi, Terumasa Hino, Hiroshi Suzuki. All tracks are recorded between 1967-1975, ranging from Post Bop, Latin & Soul Jazz. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

The Psychedelic Soul Vol. 4 ~ Japanese Beat, Jazz & Rock 'N Roll

Another journey into the amazing world of the japanese beat from the sixties including Psychedelic grooves, GS music (for Group Sounds), Jazz & Rock 'n Roll. This volume consists of Japanese pop songs inspired by psychedelic music & various covers of western rock standards (Black Dog, Lowdown, Crossroads) featuring Peter Pan, Hiro Yanagida, Jun Mayuzumi, Soul Messengers, Akira Ishikawa, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Emy Jackson, Takeshi Terauchi, Maki Asakawa, Jiro Inagaki and of course Group Sounds (The Carnabeats, The Youngers, The Tempters, The Jaguars & The Jacks). All tracks released between 1966-1972, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Osmar Milito - Bossa Nova...(E Deixa O Relogio Andar !)

Year : 1972/1971
Label : Epic/Som Livre
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : MPB, Bossa Nova, Jazz Funk

Osmar Milito featuring the Quarteto Forma (as backing vocals), Marcos Valle (ep), Chico Batera (per), and Oberdan Magalhães (sax). This french issue of the amazing Brazilian gem produced by Osmar Milito, originally released on Som Livre, was released under the "Bossa Nova" name instead of "E Deixa O Relogio Andar !". This album is a masterpiece of Brazilian Jazz in sideline of the MPB genre, a subtle condensed of Latin Jazz & Pop music as the legendary "Garra" album by Marcos Valle. Although, Osmar Milito hasn't recorded a lot of albums, he remains one of the most prominent arranger & composer, and can be considered as one of the greatest jazz pianists from Brazil, who made his fame working for various North American artists such as Liza Minelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Randy Brecker or Benny Golson. Starting as professional in 1964, Osmar was a popular sideman and arranger for Bossa Nova artists such as Elis Regina, Nara Leão, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Jorge Ben or Vinicius De Moraes. In the seventies, Osmar participates to the performing shows of the Sergio Mendes group across the USA, continues to work alongside leaders of brazilian pop music and composed various soundtracks (whose the best known "Selva De Pedra - Trilha Sonora Original Novela" - 1972). Titles include Jazz standards (Cantaloupe Island, What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life, Mercy Mercy Mercy), Marcos Valle's iconic songs "Que Bandeira" & "Garra", "Chovendo Na Roseira" by Jobim, "Rita Jeep" by Jorge Ben and "Mudei De Ideia" by Antonio Carlos & Jocafi.

Akira Ishikawa by Be Hard Bop - The Count Buffalo ~ Memories Of A Drummer

This volume pays tribute to the legendary japanese drummer, Akira Ishikawa (1934-2002) & his Count Buffalos band who were prolific on the japanese Jazz scene from the late sixties to the end of the seventies. This compilation brings together various tracks recorded by Akira Ishikawa during this emblematic period, precisely between 1968-1975. Best known as bandleader for the Japanese version of rock musical ‘Hair’ from Broadway, Akira Ishikawa started in the mid-fifties when he joined the Akira Miyazawa's Modern All Stars and later the New Herd big band conducted by the saxophonist Toshiyuki Miyama. Akira was also an active member of various japanese Jazz formations such as Ace 7 or the famous 'Freedom Unity' quintet, formed with his friend pianist, Hiromasa Suzuki. After a trip in eastern Africa, Akira introduced several traditional African percussions in his music, in order to create a kind of Afro-Jazz fusion including Rock, Funk/Soul & Psychedelia as evidenced the "Bakishinba" and "Uganda" albums. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Pierre Dutour Et Son Orchestre - Dance And Mood Music Vol. 9

Year : 2009/1969
Label : Vadim Music/Chappell
Serie : Dance And Mood Music
Genre : Jazz, Music Library
Style : Jazz Funk, Soul Jazz, Pop

Iconic french music library record from the Chappell sessions, among the best of the serie, performed by french trumpeter & conductor, Pierre Dutour. In the early sixties, Pierre Dutour joined the "Jeunesses Musicales De France" conducted by Claude Bolling and later was enrolled by him in his sextet, he was also a regular sideman for french singer Nino Ferrer and worked for various french entertainers. Associated to his stooge, Jack Arel, for composing, he participated to various Chappell sessions recordings, but not only, the French Music Library labels "Patchwork" & "Telemusic" bear likewise his signature. Titles include "Tracking" (the reminiscent of Blaxploitation soundtracks), the furious jerk "Following You", the killer groove "Business Is Business" and "Leaving To-Morrow" sampled by Howie B. for the song "Switch" (extracted from "Turn The Dark Off" released in 1997). All tracks composed by Pierre Dutour & Jack Arel except High Fly, The Brass March by Garry Bellington.

The Big Band Scope ~ Worldwide Brass Bands & Jazz Orchestra

Worldwide brass bands & jazz orchestra including Jazz Funk, Soul & Contemporary Jazz. This compilation highlights the masters of the discipline from US (Buddy Rich, Jimmy Smith, Oliver Nelson or Gil Evans), the most renowned japanese big bands among others the Sharps & Flats featuring Nobuo Hara, Toshiyuki Miyama & his New Herd or The Inner Galaxy Orchestra conducted by Bingo Miki and some european jazz brass bands (French composer Daniel Janin, Pete Moore and Ray Davies). All tracks recorded between 1964-1978, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo - Rock And Roll Revival

Year : 1970
Label : Teichiku
Genre : Jazz, Rock
Style : Jazz Rock

How many record have been released by Akira Ishikawa during the 70s decade ? I don't know but it's sure that the prolific career of Ishikawa, with his legendary Count Buffalo band, contains a significant number of rare groove records. No exception to the rule with "Rock And Roll Revival", an umpteenth cover album based on western rock hits including psychedelic nuggets, fuzz guitar & exciting drumming beats. Tiltes include rock classics from Bill Haley (Rock Around The Clock), Gene Vincent (Be Bop A Lula), Elvis Presley (Jailhouse Rock) or Little Richard (Lucille) and others variations on titles already recorded by Akira Ishikawa, previously released on "Rock, Rock '70" & "Drum Elvis Presley Drum" albums.

Ciné Jazz ~ A Cinematic Jazz Experience

Let yourself away on a cinematic journey through a selection of north american, japanese and european soundtracks including various popular themes of Blaxploitation (Coffy, Shaft), British crime films (Get Carter), TV screen series (Sanford & Son) or others tracks inspired. It features jazz or funk/soul artists such as James Brown, J.J. Johnson, The Blackbyrds, Quincy Jones, Roy Budd, Akira Ishikawa, Riz Ortolani, Giovanni Tommaso, Roy Ayers, Grant Green, Curtis Mayfield & many more... All tracks recorded between 1966 - 1978, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd - New Herd

Year : 1974

Label : TBM

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Big Band, Contemporary Jazz

Recorded straight away after their concert at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1974, "New Herd" is the ommemorative reproduction of this performance. Played as the same way as the Buddy Rich or Woody Sherman big bands,it includes great jazz covers from Miles Davis (Donna Lee), Chic Corea (La Fiesta) and some japanese musical folk expressions (Furisode, Kappa Shijo). The Toshiyuki Miyama's Big Band's name was probably given in tribute to the legendary "Thundering Herds", formed in the late forties by Woody Sherman. "New Herd" album is a japanese jazz masterpiece which cleverly combining Big Band style with Jazz Funk, in particular on the amazing killer groove song "Sniper's Snooze", sampled by Cut Chemist for "React"'s interlude on "Power Numbers", the third album of Jurassic 5.

THE NEW HERD : Toshiyuki Miyama - conductor - Kiyoshi Takano - piano, electric piano  Kozaburo Yamaki - guitar, arrangements - Masaaki Ito - bass - Isao Yomoda - drums - Koji Suzuki, Atsuo Shirai, Mamoru Mori & Seiji Inoue - reeds - Masamichi Uetaka, Takahide Uchida, Takashi Hayakawa & Teruhiko Kataoka - trombone - Fumio Shirayama, Kazumi Takeda, Shigeru Kamimori & Yoshikazu Kishi - trumpet

Ryo Kawasaki - Juice

Year : 1976
Label : RCA
Genre : Jazz, Fusion
Style : Jazz Funk
  

"Juice" is the first official US release of Ryo Kawasaki, a Jazz Funk gem recorded and mixed in New York in 1976. Brilliantly introduced by "Raisins", including deep grooves and Boogie Funk with electronic sounds & disco breaks, "Juice" is the demonstration of the high mastery level by Ryo Kawasaki on guitar who has perfectly digested the influences from James Brown. Titles include the reminicent of The Headhunters "East Side Boogie", the samba funk "The Breeze And I", the powerful disco-funk pulses to up-tempo "El Toro" and "Andes", all feature the  bassist Stu Woods. It keeps influences on nowadays music as its recycling in the Hip-Hop music, such as the samples extracted from "Raisins" or "Bamboo Child", both used by Kool G Rap and Puff Daddy. Furthermore, "Raisins" was selected for the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack, on the fictional radio station "Fusion FM" in 2008. All tracks composed & arranged by Ryo Kawasaki, except "The Breeze And I" by Al Stillman & Casado Lecuona.

MUSICIANS : Ryo Kawasaki - lead guitar - Stu Woods - bass - Jimmy Young - drums - Tom Coster - keyboards, synthesizer - Muhammad Abdullah - percussion - Hugh McCracken - rhythm guitar - Mike Lipskin - percussion, synthesizer - Sam Morrison - saxophones, flute - Andy Laverne - piano

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