MASAOMI KONDO & THE FREEDOM UNITY - Hitoribochi no Heya (Canyon, 1971)

Masaomi Kondo & The Freedom Unity - Hitoribochi no Heya
Canyon - CAL-3002
Japan, 1971


A1 ツタ (Ivy)
A2 オリーブ (Olive)
A3 キャベツ (Cabbage)
B1 サボテン (Cactus)
B2 マンドラゴラ (Mandragora)
B3 バイバブ (Baobab)

Masaomi Kondo - vocals
Masahiko Satoh - piano, electric piano, arrangements
Takeru Muraoka - sax
Hiroshi Suzuki- trombone
Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar
Masaoki Terakawa - electric bass
Akira Ishikawa - drums
Michio Yamagami - lyrics


 
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From Tiliqua Records:  "Kondo Masaomi is a well know Japanese actor who made this one-off LP in 1971. He raps away on 6 tracks about various plant species such as the Mandragora, breathing out an endangered atmosphere that borders at times on sheer anarchy and agitation. He ain’t no singer, by far but recites his texts in an distraught, frenzied, well-controlled and even calm fashion, gliding on the funky psychedelic groovy airwaves that his backing band – the Freedom Unity – churns out in an addictive fashion. The Freedom Unity on this occasion consisted out some of the finest musicians to be on the scene and included heavyweight players such as Sato Masahiko (piano); Ishikawa Akira (drums – Uganda etc); Sugimoto Kiyoshi (guitar – Count Buffaloos, Hino Hideshi Group, Rock Communication, etc), Terakawa Masaoki (bass – Love Live Life + 1, Ishikawa Akira & Count Buffaloos, Dema), Muraoka Takeru (Sax - Uganda, Count Buffaloos, Love Live Life +1, Dema) and Suzuki Hiroshi (Trumpet – various line-ups of Freedom Unity). The music they bring forth ranges from jazz, free jazz, psychedelic groovy acidic jams, jazz rock and fuses neatly with Kondo Masaomi’s raps, making it a perfect unison that resembles at times the musical greatness of Innocent Canon. It is funky, jazzy, psychedelic, groovy and intoxicatingly hip shaking all at the same time. A true amalgamation and genre-crossing disc, hybrid like for some reason only Japanese records seem to pull off without loosing face. This sole recording by Kondo is largely unknown outside this island here but it is regarded and revered as a great cult item and upon spinning this disc it is easy to understand why. It just has all the right ingredients: funky bass lines, killer guitar exploits, butt-shaking jazzy vibes, rare groove spiritual like rhythms, shrinking sax insertions, fuzzy wah-wah action, crazy raps etc, all executed by top level musicians. Magical slide out of 1971, shedding another light on Japans acidic free psychedelic moves and shakes."




https://mega.nz/#!WpgTgAyB!jEtSOWY-GO5_RKm96gh0b0Eby2BXOoHoPTd1ABBPM_A

TAKEO MORIYAMA - East Plants (VAP, 1983)

Takeo Moriyama - East Plants
VAP - 30132-25
Japan, 1983

A1 East Plants
A2 Ta-Ke
A3 Ka-Ge-Lo-U
B1 Ka-Ze
B2 Fields
B3 To-O-Ku

Takeo Moriyama - drums

Syuichi Enomoto - tenor sax, soprano sax

Hideaki Mochizuki - bass
Yohji Sadanari - percussion
Toshihiko Inoue - tenor sax, soprano sax

https://mega.nz/#!79YwUbgY!56SR4SwgNMt-wKFyJdZzCck4iipTDNXD9tHAvZ5-724

SUNAO WADA QUINTET + 1 featuring MINORU IKENO - Four Scenes (Three Blind Mice, 1976)

 Sunao Wada Quintet + 1 featuring Minoru Ikeno - Four Scenes

Three Blind Mice - TBM-75

Japan, 1976

A1 Sunset on the Street

A2 Ambushin' the Blues

B1 Jumping Dog

B2 The Shimmer of the Morning Sun

Sunao Wada - guitar

Minoru Ikeno - alto sax, flute, percussion

Sizuo Nakayama - piano, electric piano
Hitomi Ueda - vocals, whistle, cowbell

Kazuaki Yamamoto - bass

Koji Yamada - drums

https://mega.nz/#!64xkXCQZ!FgwmfSXDS1sZSwPcWrpXXxf9qglxgKdA9UJ7L54E5-w

AKIRA TOYODA - Benkei (Sound Design, 1984)

Akira Toyoda - Benkei
Sound Design Records Inc - 1342-25
Japan, 1984

A1 Benkei
A2 Walk This Way
A3 Irie
B1 Tommy's Den
B2 Some Other Blues
B3 Double Duty

Akira Toyoda - drums
Joe Lovano - tenor sax, soprano sax
Peter Madsen - piano
Dean Johnson - bass

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The name that might immediately be recognized by many contemporary jazz fans from the lineup on this Japanese only 1984 release by drummer Akira Toyoda for the indie label Sound Design is Joe Lovano, which is quite odd being that it's not listed anywhere on Lovano's discography.  In fact, there seems to be virtually no information available at all regarding this lp, except for a mention on bassist Dean Johnson's discography page, marking his very first session as a sideman and, from what I can tell, pianist Peter Madsen's as well.  That this was the start of two fine jazz players career, a document of Lovano's fantastic early work, and perhaps Toyoda's only album (as a leader, or even as sideman?) makes it even more unfortunate there is no information on this session.

Nevertheless, the playing throughout is incredible, showing the energy and creativity of these young players.  Toyoda and Madsen split composition duties, Toyoda contributing 'Benkei' and 'Tommy's Den' and Madsen the rest, with the addition of Coltrane's 'Some Other Blues'.  The playing here serves to document the vibrant jazz scene in Japan that lasted up through the mid-80s that drew American players to visit the land of the rising sun, on other labels such as Why Not, Trio and Baystate.  Moreover, this lp is a fine example of the many phenomenal albums recorded during this period that have yet to be unearthed.  Although Toyoda seems to remain in relative obscurity, he's still active in the jazz scene today, so next time you're in Kyoto look up to see him at the Blue Note, or in Osaka at the Royal Horse.  



https://mega.nz/#!apYChCia!BMuXqtXmpqyehggZHA3qClLTjlypJIzKBJXfcOJY4oo

SEIICHI NAKAMURA QUARTET – ふれんち Dancers (1982)

Eastworld – WTP-90162

Japan, 1982

A1 Lady's Flower

A2 McCoy's Mood
A3 ス―ハ― Sax [Super Sax]

A4 Krin Krin
A5 活動写真 [Motion Picture]
B1 ふれんち Dancers [French Dancers]

B2 Carnival

B3 Anthropology

B4 Cherokee

B5 偽日記 [False Diary]

Seiichi Nakamura – tenor sax, soprano sax

Jun Hakamazuka – piano

Yukio Kimura – drums

Tokunari Kawana – bass

http://www.mediafire.com/download/u3irsyygoxwgq9w/%E3%81%B5%E3%82%8C%E3%82%93%E3%81%A1+dancers.zip

SHIGEHARU MUKAI – Spacing Out (1978)

Better Days – YX-7582-ND
Japan, 1978

A1 Dawn ~ Turbulence
A2 Just Smile
B1 Cumulonimbus
B2 Focus Express
B3 Spacing Out

All tracks written by Shigeharu Mukai

Shigeharu Mukai – trombone
Yasuaki Shimizu – tenor sax, soprano sax
Kazumi Watanabe – guitar
Kazuhide Motooka – piano, electric piano
Toshiyuki Daitoku – clavinet
Tamio Kawabata – bass
Ryojiroh Furusawa – drums
Tatsuji Yokoyama – congas




http://www.mediafire.com/download/u8md9ug361abdyt/spacing.out.zip

SADAO WATANABE – Pastoral (1969)

CBS/Sony – 23AP 1066

Japan, 1969

A1 Pastoral

A2 Bridge

A3 Tokyo Suite: Sunrise/Sunset

B1 Gary, Outro Samba

B2 Someday In Suburbs

B3 Fandango

B4 Closing Theme From "Kin-Kira-Kin"

B5 Ritmo Sabroso

Sadao Watanabe: tenor sax, soprano sax, flute

Yoshiaki Masuo: guitar

Yoshio Suzuki: fender bass, bass, piano

Fumio Watanabe: drums, percussion

Kazuo Yashiro: electric piano

Hiroshi Matsumoto: vibes

Masahiro Tanaka: flugelhorn

Chiyoshige Matsubara: flugelhorn

all composition and arrangement by Sadao Watanabe

"Pastoral" is Watanabe; it is the putting together of everything he has learned in the past 18 years.  His experiences in jazz, the classics and the blending of sounds and rhythms show him off as the complete musician.  Having been on hand for this most unusual recording session, I can personally attest to Watanabe's virtuosity and inventiveness.  The session was long and arduous because Watanabe is a perfectionist.  He would play and listen, play and listen and then play it all over again.  Sadao doesn't like to think of himself as only a jazzist although he has played with some of the best, both in the United States and Brazil.  His good friends Gary McFarland and Chico Hamilton have had some influence on him, but what he does, he does from somewhere deep inside his soul.  All of the compositions in this album are Watanabe's and it should establish him as one of the best young composers in Japan.  Sitting through this album is an experience.  It is one of the finest recordings my ears have heard in a very long time.  Watanabe inspires; he reaches for the heights; he satisfies the most critical jazz buff while never offending the casual listener.  This is a true test of greatness.

— Elson E. Irwin   Billboard Editor, Tokyo

http://www.mediafire.com/download/u4y66ktq6wqksyb/pastoral.zip ]