JAPANESE JAZZ recommendations (late 60's thru 70's) Three Blind Mice label, etc.

so all these new Three Blind Mice CDs are mini-LPs, and I don't do those anymore...
these are all released as earlier jewel cases though...

picked up two items today in Shinjuku:

Terumasa Hino - Mr. Happiness (1973: 2 long songs!) + Slipped Out (1973: 3 longs songs!) new 2 CD
Hiroshi Fukumura Quintet - Morning Flight (TBM 1973)

there's also some other new releases I saw that I'll probably get, part of the Deep Jazz Reality Series:

Steve Marcus + J. Inagaki & his Soul Media - Something (COCB-54056)
George Otsuka Quintet - Sea Breeze (PCD-7321)
J. Inagaki - Wondering Birds, featuring Sammy (THCD-212)
Takeo Moriyama Quartet - Flush Up (THCD-213; 1977)
> side one is an 18 minute modal jamout, you can hear it on youtube, at least in Japan

also saw some things on the King label in the same series as that new Takeshi Inomata - Innocent Canon CD I got,
anyone know anything about these ?????, don't know the artists' names....

Cosmos (KICJ-2290)
Bamboo (KICJ-2286)

 

checked these out, they're not that great, the one to get is:

T. Yokata and the Beat Generation - Flute Adventure (KICJ-2288)
> this guy is like the Japanese Herbie Mann, including having a wicked Sonny Sharrock-esque
free jazz guitar player messing up the melow mood....if you do a search for these titles click on
the Billboard.Japan.com link and you can hear 45 seconds of lotsa these jazz CDs...I will have to buy this
for track #3, holy crap it's psych monster Kimio Mizutani on guitar, yowza !!!

 

Yeah I got that one back when it was released a few years ago,its pretty great.I also finally got the Sounds of sound L.T.D. mini lp back from 2007,man I had to pay a lot for it but it was worth it.Just curious why no more mini lp packaging for ya?

 

got 2 more things used today w/ obis, the first one (already mentioned here) frickin' rocks!

Hiromasa Suzuki + Jiro Inagaki & his Big Soul Media - By the Red Stream (1973) Columbia Master Sonic COCB-54006 (2012)
Toko: Motohiko Hino Quartet Live at Nemu Jazz Inn (1975) King KICJ-2262 (2012)

also saw 3 cheap used copies of this, wonder if it's any good: Yosuke Yamashita / Masahiko Togashi - Kizashi (1980)..the date makes me hesitant, but these guy are free jazz monsters...anyone?

 

I listened to samples and found this album not THAT rockin' like other Jiro Inagaki stuff; 4 long tracks makes it too psychodelic to me. So I decided to pass.

 

wow, just finished listening to this smokin' live set...it's like heavy jamming fusion, but not the cheesy fusion I hate so much...I'd never heard
Katsumi Watanabe before, I always assumed he was soft jazz....live 7/20/75, here's the line-up:
Motohoko Hino - drums, Mikio Masuda- keys, Isao Suzuki - bass and Watanabe - guitar. 3 long jams, 44 minutes long...

 

got these 2 CD at Tower, Shibuya today:
Takeo Moriyama Quartet - Flush Up (THCD-213; 1977):...wow this whole thing is SO great,
I recommend buying it..you'd think a standard like 'Softy as in a Morning Sunrise" would be dullsville after the monster jamout of side one, but it's not, it's free jazz and smokes...this sax guy Tomoki Yakahashi is great ina Coltrane kinda way, I'd rate this as in my top 10 japanese Jazz releases I've heard so far...also got
T. Yokata & the Beat Generation - Flute Adveture...already mentioned by peeps here, this is even better and more psych than I thought it'd be !!!

 

got and listened to these two yesterday, both of these are from 1971 and both are awesome!

Something has Masahiko Sato (el p.) and Ryo Kawasaki (g)...besides the semi-lame Beatles cover title track, there's only 2 other songs
that are intense free jazz...it's got an alt take of Something as a bonus track that's longer and more stretched out, the wierd drums make it interesting...

Wandering Birds is wowsville acid rock of the highest order, kind of like Head Rock and Innocent Canon, killer !

 

wow, on my last shopping day here in Tokyo I went to a DU in Shinjuku that I was at 5 days ago and found nothing, on a whim
I checked out the used J-jazz section again and found a grail:

Masahiko Togashi - Spiritual Nature (East Wind 1975: UCCU 5164 from 2003) I saw the East Wind label on the obi, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed it....this is totally of a spiritual nature, with Masahiko Satoh and Sadao Watanabe and multi-percussionists...really spacey, LOVE IT !!!!
Since I can't read Japanese I have to pull out all the CDs to check the cover, but I notice certain spines patterns of the good stuff....

also found a used CD of one of these new TBM releases (whenever they release new, supposedly upgraded mini-LPs here people sell their old jewel cases, crazy, imo)
Tatsuya Takahashi & the Tokyo Union - Scandinavian Suite, composed by Bingo Miki (TBM 1977)
alls I'd heard of this so far is one ultra-funky acid rock guitar track on youtube doing research...

btw, I've bought alotta earlier jewel cases here that's I have as mini-LPs (Strata-East and J-Jazz) which I'll be selling in the classifieds inabouta month, if there's any mini-LP fans...

 

That's a good one. I picked it up when the reissue came out. I think Rings is even more phenomenal though. Pick it up if you haven't already.

 

now on my list, longing for the next 11 months of working the 9 to 5 in the U.S. to go by as soon as possible !

 

Yeah, that is one heavy live album! Very underrated IMO and yes, Watanabe is a wicked guitar player. He drifted more toward the cheesy type of fusion later in the 70s but even that was pretty cool... the albums he released as Kylyn for example are awesome! I would recommend his debut album Infinity. That one really smokes!

 

Here's some albums I've been digging recently:

Shuko Mizuno - Shuko Mizuno's Jazz Orchestra '75 (This one is REAL dope! The New Herd acts as the orchestra here and they lay down one funky foundation, especially on the 2nd track. There's also a bonus live cut that burns from start to finish. TBM need to reissue this one ASAP!)




Isao Suzuki - Mongolian Chant (This is a really sweet, fusion-funk album... hard to believe it was recorded in 1980. The title track and the 13 minute "Falcon" are the big highlights. GREAT stuff!!!!)




Kaleidoscope - Kaleidoscope (I've seen this one listed as a Kazumi Watanabe album but it's really more of a supergroup effort with some big names from the jazz and rock fields... Carmen Maki sings on a few tracks. The first three cuts are pretty cool vocal numbers, especially the version of "Maiden Voyage", but the massive 16 minute title track is where it's at. Watanabe tears it up like Lotus-era Santana on this amazing tune. Brilliant!!!)

 

It is an astonishing piece of music. Easily one of the very best of Japanese Jazz records.

 

I don't have much jazz that fits the OP topic definition so I'm watching this thread with interest.

I do have and enjoy these:

Sadao Watanabe - DEDICATED TO CHARLIE PARKER (Tact/Denon) 1969 (w/Terumasa Hino)



Toshiko Akiyoshi - AT TOP OF THE GATE (Tact/Denon) 1968 (not sure if this "counts" as it's American musicians with her on this one including Kenny Dorham, but it was only issued in Japan to my knowledge)

 

The 'Nabesada's disc was recorded by Okihiko Sugano, who was the mixer for KJ's Sunbear Concerts. As it is a live with audience, the sonic may not be his very best but it still sounds natural, lively, warm, rich and lifelike.

 

Finally the CD has arrived.
Seems like this one gonna be my favorite Japanese jazz-funk album.
All killer, no filler.
Get past the artwork, and you'll be rewarded!

 

Thank you very much for this great thread! Since I started reading this thread, I become a big fan of Yamashita Yosuke Trio, which I would like to discuss with everyone after I listen to them more.

Few days ago I listened to Terumasa Hino's "Cycle Circle" from "Hino At Berlin Jazz Festival 1971" and was delighted by its sort of "free" approach to the music as I thought he was a mainstream player. I knew that it was the one I needed to get but it seems impossible to find it on CD, so LP is the only option now . Today I listened to Terumasa Hino Quintet's HI-Nology; I enjoyed it so much that I just kept repeating this album again and again.

These two albums are not similar in terms of style but I find them both very enjoyable. Could anyone please let me know that if the albums below share similar style?

Hakuchuu No Shuugeki Original Sound Track
Taro' s Mood
Into Eternity
Mr.Happiness/Slipped Out

Many Thanks in advance.

 

Mr. Happiness + Slipped Out is mellowish modal jazz ala Miles Davis, 2CDs, 5 long songs, although it's not as great as I hoped it would be it's still great...there's only one song on it that really cooks...
Taro's Mood (Live in Munchen 6-29-73) is what I think is his most well known release (judging by the multiple issues of it, also it's on Enja), I think is better than the above (my King CD from '88 has a 12.5 minute bonus track)
Into Eternity is really hard to find on CD now, I'm kicking myself for not doing so when I had the chance (it was in one of those weird really thick double jewel cases)
another great one is Speak to Loneliness (East West - Jan. 1975) and it's got guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto on it...I think Hino became a mainstream player in the late seventies, just like everyone else...not heard anything by him past 1976....

 

Many Thanks rcdupre for the information. I'll definitely go for Taro's Mood - based on the samples I listened to I think I will like it. I actually noticed that Into Eternity is available in HMV.jp and Amazon.jp, so I hope you'll get yourself a copy soon. On the other hand, Speak to Loneliness seems out of print now, so it could be hard to locate a CD copy.

I have a question on the CD reissue of Hi-Nology +2 - Are the bonus tracks available on other Terumasa Hino's albums? I do hope that I will find a CD copy of Hi-Nology soon. Can anyone help? Thanks.

 

I'm no sure but I believe that the two tracks came from this.

 

This CD by Yosuke Yamashita trio was originally issued as reel 2 reel tape in 1973. You will know its significance when you see it is by his trio with Takeo Moriyama (and Akira Sakata).

http://www.amazon.co.jp/山下洋輔トリオ/dp/B008TTP4ZA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=EUA4FYELTJ7X&coliid=I2Q9W0ET8EHLWF

 

I tried to compare the tracks and those two tracks seems to me that are not from this soundtrack......

I bought this CD and I love what I heard. So far other Yamashita Yosuke's CDs I've managed to get are Introducing Takeo Moriyama, Mina's 2nd Theme, Mokujiki, April Fool, and Ecstacy of Angel and I love all of them.

It's amazing that all of a sudden this type of Japanese Jazz "clicks". I love Kazumi Watanabe and after I listened to his performance on Infinite and Toko - Quartet at Nemu Jazz Inn, I began to look for Japanese Jazz in the 70s based on the albums featuring Kazumi Watanabe and Motohiko Hino and have found more and more players I want to dig into.

 

Maybe another takes. The two tracks made a 7inch on Takt.

 

I am thrilled to see this disc getting some love here - it's one of my favorite records.