Jazz | Fusion Vinyl 417 Items

"Japanese jazz and Jazz Rock masterpieces are re-released on clear vinyl!

The raging drums scorch the times. Accompanied by a whirlwind of young talents, Takeshi Inomata proudly heralds the arrival of the golden age of jazz-rock.
Takeshi Inomata, a drummer who led the jazz scene in Japan with his precise stick work and musicality that looked ahead to the times. At the end of the 1960s, he was influenced by brass rock, which was flourishing at the time, and formed Sound Limited.
""I want to fuse jazz and rock and bring together young musicians to do music with vitality, and I want this group to be a large-scale group that does not fit into the small framework of modern jazz,"" he says.
His first album and masterpiece was ""Sounds of Sound L.T.D.""(1970). Led by ""Theme ~ Moustache"", which is loved as a symbolic song, it is a masterpiece full of dynamism and enthusiasm throughout the film.
text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)"

Released in 1971 on Impulse and recorded with two different ensembles, "Thembi" marked a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Sanders had been pursuing for much of his solo career. Instead, it offers an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas resulting in something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. Verve BY Request Series: remastered, audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl from Third Man Pressing/Detroit, Gatefold Sleeve.

Limited to 300 copies on grey vinyl. Only available at hhv.de

Sonor Music Editions proudly presents this restored issue of Maestro Sandro Brugnolini's Overground. This elusive masterpiece in library music captures the most impressive work, alongside Underground (1970), of the Italian composer and alto sax player. Overground was released on Sincro Edizioni Musicali in 1970 as the soundtrack to Enrico Moscatelli and Mario Rigoni's documentary Persuasione, commissioned by Ente Provinciale Per Il Turismo Di Trento, a local tourism board in Italy, with music composed by Sandro Brugnolini and Luigi Malatesta featuring some of the best musicians in Italy at the time like Angelo Baroncini and Silvano Chimento on guitars, Giorgio Carnini on piano and organ, Enzo Restuccia on drums, and Giovanni Tommaso on bass and effects. The music spans from underground Psychedelic Prog. Rock with swirling organs, trippy effects, and distorted fuzz guitars to sophisticated Lounge grooves with Avant- garde orchestrations. The music has been transferred and remastered from the original master tapes. It has been lacquer cut in stereo by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting and packed in a thick cardboard sleeve featuring a fully restored painting by Umberto Mastroianni licensed by Centro Studi dell’Opera di Umberto Mastroianni.

The post-bop opus Blackstone Legacy is the seminal debut album by trumpeter Woody Shaw. Originally released in 1971 on Contemporary Records, the groundbreaking album was inspired by the sociopolitical ills of the '60s. In their review, Allmusic called the album, "... a landmark recording, and a pivot point in the history of post-modern music". This 2-LP reissue was remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, housed in a gatefold tip-on jacket.

The Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra was created in 1971 by French free jazz pianist legend, François Tusques. Free Jazz, was also the name of the 1965 recording Tusques made along with and other Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin and Charles Saudrais. Six years later, in 1971 Tusques would go ahead of free jazz.

Wondering if free jazz wasn’t a bit of a dead end together with Barney Wilen (Le Nouveau Jazz) or even solo (Piano Dazibao and Dazibao N°2), Tusques formed the Inter Communal Free Dance Music Orchestra, an association under the banner of which the different communities of the country would come together and compose, quite simply. If at first the structure was made up of professional musicians from the jazz scene it would rapidly seek out talent in the lively world of the MPF (Musique Populaire Française).{French Popular Music, ndlt}

As with L’Inter Communal a few years earlier, Le Musichien follows on from the group of varying musicians that Tusques had conceived as a “people’s jazz workshop”. In 1981, at the famous Paris address, 28 rue Dunois, the pianist sang with his partner Carlos Andreu “Le Musichien”, an Afro-Catalan tale over an exceptional bass line from Jean-Jacques Avenel backed by percussion from Kilikus, saxophones from Sylvain Kassap and Yebga Likoba and trombone from Ramadolf which presented a myriad of constellations. The sky has no limits, let’s make the most of it.

“Les Amis d’Afrique” is recorded the following year, at the ‘Tombées de la Nuit’ festival in Rennes, bassist Tanguy Le Doré would weave with Tusques the fabric on which would evolve an explosive “brotherhood of breath”: Bernard Vitet on trumpet, Danièle Dumas and Sylvain Kassap on saxophones, Jean-Louis Le Vallegant and Philippe Le Strat on... bombards. With hints of modal jazz inspired by Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders, the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra is an ecumenical project which speaks to the whole world.

The seventh album by spiritual jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, Thembi was released in 1971. Recorded with two different ensembles, the album marked a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Sanders had been pursuing for most of his solo career, and instead offers an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas, making it something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. A//Music reviewer Steve Huey gave it a rating of four out of five stars. This would be the last time Sanders recorded with his regular collaborator, pianist and composer Lonnie Liston Smith, who began his experimentation with electric keyboards on this LP. Also featured are violinist Michael White, bassist Cecil McBee, and percussionists Chief Bey, Majid Shabbaz, and Nat Bettis.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Norio Maeda"s cult classic "Rock Communication Yagibushi" released in Japan in 1970. The album has since become a Japanese Jazz Funk cornerstone and is now highly sought-after on the international DJ scene. The album reinterprets 14 traditional Japanese folk songs into jaw-dropping Jazz Funk instrumentals featuring killer arrangements by Maeda that would fit perfectly between David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin. One of the most prolific Nippon arrangers, Norio Maeda on a par with Yuji Ohno and Kentaro Haneda and this album has long been on many collectors" wantlist. "Rock Communication Yagibushi" is reissued internationally for the first time, with newly remastered audio, original gatefold artwork and new liner notes by Paul Bowler.

This is a work by the legendary Jiro Inagaki that represents Japanese jazz-rock. Jiro Inagaki was one of the key musicians in the development of jazz rock in Japan. Inagaki, who felt the limitations of existing jazz music at the time, quickly turned his attention to jazz rock with this work, recorded in 1970. From the opening track, "The Vamp," to the closing track, "Head Rock," Inagaki poured all his ideas and passion into this jazz-rock showcase that leaves no time to exhale. This is a masterpiece that has an overwhelming presence in the history of Japanese jazz.

This is the first time Jiro Inagaki has featured vocals in this bold take on new rock. The mysterious, blackened rock groove roars out. This jazz-rock work is particularly unique among Jiro Inagaki's works, featuring vocals by Sammy and Yasushi Sawada for the first time, and backed by Masahiko Sato, Kimio Mizutani, Hiro Yanagida, and others.

First ever reissue of this excellent self-titled South African jazz album by Spirits Rejoice. Check out tracks like 'Woza Uzo Kudanisa Nathi' or 'Papa's Funk' !

The 1970s is regarded as a period of experimentation, boundary-breaking and hybridization in modern music and this spirit certainly informed the mushrooming of ideas that occurred in South African jazz during this time. In the shadow of more commercial township jive and soul, South African jazz evolved on the fringe, nurtured by passionate and enterprising independent producers who courted the interest of the mainstream with enchanting concoctions of jazz with folk, rock, soul and funk.

With a lineup hailing from far flung regions of South Africa, the mercurial sound of Spirits Rejoice and its willingness to weave a patchwork of different influences into its recordings is not hard to account for. More difficult to reconcile is that the band didn’t manage to level up to the status enjoyed by its peers in larger music markets abroad. Nevertheless, Spirits Rejoice has maintained its revered status in the collective memory of South African jazz for over four decades and their recorded artifacts return in the 2020s with the group’s vitality and energy undiminished.

Next up in the Mr Bongo Cuban Classics series is an outing by the mighty Juan Pablo Torres from 1978. Released on Cuba’s state-owned Areito imprint, Algo Nuevo showcases trombonist, bandleader, arranger and producer Juan Pablo Torres' unique scope of sound. A melting pot of an album that weaves together jazz-funk and traditional Afro-Cuban genres with tripped-out synth touches and dancefloor grooves.

The opener 'Pan Caliente' is a fiery celebration, combining a driving groove with Latin percussion, feverish horns and infectious “la-la-la” vocals. The wild, squelching cosmic synthlines give an otherworldly touch to proceedings that sit nicely on a modern dancefloor. 'Guajira 2001' is perhaps Juan's future-focussed take on the vibrant style of Cuban dance-led music called guajira. Blistering bongos, congas and claves moving together with trumpets, trombones and twanging acoustic guitars that you can’t help but bounce to.

Other highlights include, 'Cacao', a Cuban cosmic funk strutter that places the claves upfront, with a scatting vocal line and percussive climax reminiscent of George Kranz electronic disco anthem 'Din Daa Daa' from 1983. Elsewhere, 'Elvira' further showcases the psychedelic essence of many of the album’s tracks. A deep Latin workout where tasty percussive breaks and scorching keys blend with trippy vocals and rumbling synths.

A varied album encompassing a variety of Afro-Cuban genres and rhythms entwined with flashes of mind-bending cosmic influence. Algo Nuevo is a further jewel in Cuba’s musical crown of riches, with plenty of dancefloor treats and downtempo numbers held within.

For RSD 2024 The Doors Of Perception Is Presented In A Unique Blue Swirl Colored Vinyl Pressing The Doors Of Perception is among the most experimental and innovative releases by famed jazz vibraphonist Dave Pike. Recorded in 1966 and released in 1970, the album finds Pike indulging in full-fledged psychedelic jazz, with trippy grooves and a new sound. Produced by Herbie Mann, The Doors Of Perception features an all-star cast of musicians, including Eddie Daniels, Lee Konitz, Don Friedman, and Chuck Israel. Their talents are complemented by a wide range of sound effects, from echo chambers to piped-in applause to thunderstorms to fuzzy distortion, making for a dynamic and unique listening experience.

The famous song “Watarase,” full of Japanese flavor, is recorded for the first time on this album. Takeo Moriyama, a renowned jazz drummer, has been a prominent figure in the free jazz scene since the late 1960s, first with the Yosuke Yamashita Trio and more recently with the Kyoto Jazz Sextet. Moriyama's music has garnered a devoted following among both old and new fans. This album, recorded in 1980 with a quartet featuring his close friend Fumio Itabashi, is one of the most famous works in the history of Japanese jazz music. It features a large-scale performance in which stillness and movement are organically intertwined.

BBE Music present the latest in the acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Kohsuke Mine ‘First’, the debut album by one of the leading artists in the new wave of modern jazz that swept Japan in the late 60s and early 70s. ‘First’ epitomises the shifting sound of the Japanese modern jazz scene of the time, characterised by rich textures and tones, kinetic rhythms, punctuated by urgent, angular melody lines.

Reissued for the first time since original 1970 release, Mine is joined by master keyboard player Masabumi Kikuchi on electric piano, and two American players – bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Lenny McBrowne – to deliver one of the strongest debuts in the J Jazz canon. ‘First’ announced the arrival of a serious talent, one who was to be a hugely influential figure in the Japanese jazz scene across the decade that followed and beyond. ‘First’ established an artist who built a reputation for standout albums spanning spiritual jazz, post-bop, modal and funk-fusion. All of that started here, on this exemplary album.

‘First’ is issued on CD, digital and vinyl. The vinyl edition is presented as a double album, cut at 45rpm by the Grammy-nominated Carvery, with full original reproduction artwork, including obi strip. Both CD and vinyl comes with a 4500 word sleeve note and interview with Kohsuke Mine by Tony Higgins, plus artist portraits by Shigeru Uchiyama.

J Jazz Masterclass Series is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden for BBE Music.

Artwork by Hiroshi Yoshimura, 350gsm Sleeve with selected UV High Gloss Varnish, Liner Notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond. Official reissue of Satoshi Ashikawa’s highly sought after Japanese ambient/environmental masterpiece Still Way (Wave Notation 2), originally released in 1982.

One per customer only!

Johnny’s Disk Record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe Kaiunbashi No Johnny located in Rikuzentakata city in Iwate prefecture, Japan. The legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. Albums such as “farewell my johnny / left alone” and “aya’s samba” has reached cult status among fans as some of the best works to come out of the japanese jazz scene. Another japanese jazz classic, Aya’s Samba was a debut effort by bassist Eiji Nakayama, who played as part of elvin jones’ jazz machine and toured with Don Friedman. This album is an important release in the johnny’s disk catalogue, not only because it is the first ever release, but also because the owner hearing the band play was the reason why the label came to be. “Aya’s Samba” is a mellow jazz samba in minor key that’s considered a japanese jazz classic. Slow ballad “yellow living” is drenched in melancholy with emotive keys and sax notes, while the dreamy “sea sea town” impresses with a captivating, expressive sax solo. The 4 tracker ends with “far-away road,” an uptempo tune with rhythmic keys.

Pure class as always from Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – but there's a lot of influences coming into play on the album, like bluesy rock phrasing, showy nostalgia-heavy arrangements, psychedelic production elements, and some of the baroque orchestrations that would show up on Gal's later albums in the 70s.