Red Beard Aka Akahige (1965) Akira Kurosawa, Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki

Although often overshadowed by the Los Angeles and New York folk-rock scenes, San Francisco also contributed several notable bands. Among them are We Five, featuring Mike Stewart (vocals/guitar/banjo) - brother of Kingston Trio member John Stewart - Peter Fullerton (vocals/bass), Beverly Bivens (vocals), Bob Jones (guitar/vocals), and Jerry Bergan (guitar/vocals). The quintet was among the first Bay Area groups to have chart success merging acoustic-based folk music with electric instrumentation. This single CD, from mail-order archivists Collector's Choice Music, contains the quintet's first two long-players: You Were on My Mind and Make Someone Happy. Both titles are similar in style and content, charting the linear progression of pop music and its fusion with folk, rock & roll, and post-bop jazz…

Akira Jimbo, also seen as Akira Jinbo (神保 彰 Jimbo Akira), born February 27, 1959 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese freelance jazz fusion drummer who is famous for his drumming independence and fusion of electronic drum technology and acoustic drums. Aside from his solo work, he is also the drummer in the Japanese jazz fusion band Casiopea and has participated in various side projects with other musicians, including Keiko Matsui, Shambara, bassist Brian Bromberg. He is the main product presenter of Yamaha Drums Japan.

Performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Yuzo Toyama with soprano Rie Hamada. A beautiful digital recording of several rarely performed works by Takemitsu (the soprano part of the marvelous "Coral Island" is very difficult, for example, and the "Archipelago S" is for an unusual ensemble of instruments). Many of the subtleties of Takemitsu's writing are lost in recording (for example, subtle harmonics behind more foreground material), but the engineers made a good effort here.

Featuring Abraham Laboriel, Russell Ferrante & Patrice Rushen.
Akira Jimbo is a Japanese musician who combines electronic drum technology and acoustic drums. Aside from his solo work, he is the drummer for the Japanese jazz fusion band Casiopea and has participated in side projects with Keiko Matsui, Shambara, and Brian Bromberg. One aspect of Jimbo's drumming is the setup of his drums. Using Yamaha drums and Zildjian cymbals with Yamaha electronic drum triggers, Jimbo is able to create an array of different sounds. He points out that his mounted toms are aligned perfectly so that no one drum is lower or higher than the other, a method he applies to the floor toms as well.

Born in Tokyo, award-winning pianist Yuko Mifune moved with her family to New York City when she was six years old. In New York, her early studies were with Mitsuko Ichimura, Jerome and Ronit Lowenthal, and at the age of twelve she returned to Japan and continued her studies with virtuoso pianists Akiko Iguchi, Yoko Okumura, and Kazuko Yasukawa.