Solid Records Japan

Masaru Imada is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. He had classical piano lessons. He played jazz in student bands while a student at Meiji University, after which he worked in business for a year. He then decided to pursue music professionally. From 1953 he was part of clarinetist Eiji Kitamura's band.

Lonnie Smith - Funk Reaction (1977) {Groove Merchant–Solid Records Japan CDSOL-45955 rel 2019}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
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© 1977, 2019 Groove Merchant / Ultra-Vibe / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-45955
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Keyboards

A sweet 70s groover from the great Lonnie Smith – a soulful little session that has the keyboardist really stretching out in some great ways! At the time, Smith fares a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries – as he's got a great lean style, perfect for the decade's increasing use of electric keyboards and larger backings! This set's a great example of that style – as Smith moves way from his 60s soul jazz roots, into the soaring blend of jazz, funk, and soul that you'd also hear on Johnny Hammond albums of the time – almost more soul than jazz, given the presence of vocals on some cuts – but still always with more than enough room for the leader to stretch out and solo. Backings are nice and tight – and handled by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame).

Lonnie Smith - Keep On Lovin' (1976) {Groove Merchant–Solid Records Japan CDSOL-45933 rel 2018}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 237 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 87 Mb
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© 1976, 2018 Groove Merchant / Ultra-Vibe / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-45933
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Keyboards

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings.

Takehiro Honda - What's Going On (1971) {Solid Japan Cardboard Sleeve CDSOL-1482 rel 2012}
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© 1971, 2012 Trio Records / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-1482
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Groove

Recorded in the U.S. with arranger Teddy Adams, What's Going On embraces in full the American influences that shape it – the polemical R&B of James Brown and Marvin Gaye looms heavy via covers of "Ain't It Funky Now" and the title cut, while the sound and sensibility clearly draw from West coast soul-jazz innovators like Les McCann and Gerald Wilson. But the curiosity and estrangement inherent in the album's stranger-in-a-strange-land origins are in fact its dominant element: Takehiro Honda doesn't simply channel his myriad influences, he also dissects them, taking them apart and putting them back together to understand how they work. The result is a wonderfully eccentric and heartfelt interpretation of American funk rendered in distinctly Japanese terms – studious but a bit goofy, formal yet passionately groovy.

The Rein De Graaff Trio With Ronnie Cuber And Nick Brignola - Baritone Explosion! - Live At Nick's (1995) {2016 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
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© 1995, 2016 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6429
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Baritone Saxophone / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. We'd hate to get caught in the force of a baritone explosion – as the horns are so big, that's a lot of metal to have to deal with! Fortunately, pianist Rein De Graaf's got the proceedings here on rock-solid territory – providing just the right sort of swing to keep things moving, yet also keep things in control – while both Ronnie Cuber and Nick Brigola open up on the bigger horns – reminding us why they're some of the few players able to carry forward the deftly soulful legacies of earlier baritone greats like Pepper Adams or Serge Chaloff! The album's a live one, and tracks are nice and long – plenty of room for solos on titles that include "Caravan", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Crack Down", "Night In Tunisia", and "Blue Train" – plus two short beautiful ballads, "What's New" and "In A Sentimental Mood".

Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings Again (1985) {Timeless Japan CDSOL-46702 rel 2020}
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© 1985, 2020 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-46702
Jazz / Cool / Vocal Jazz / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. I have about 40 albums of Chet’s music (his last period principally) and this is one of his best. In this too short disc (45 minutes) recorded in Europe at the end of 1985, Chet is at his best, singing and playing trumpet beautifully for the Timeleless label. He is remarkably surrounded by the great French pianist Michel GRAILLER, Ricardo DEL FRA on the bass and John ENGELS on drums. Only eight songs are here on the programm, all great standards….

Charles Kynard - Charles Kynard (1971) {2017 Japan Mainstream Records Master Collection Series CDSOL-45249}
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© 1971, 2017 Time / Mainstream Records / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-45249
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Organ Hammond B-3

A great album from organist Charles Kynard – one of his best that wasn't issued on Prestige! This is one of the funky jazz LPs on Mainstream that really hits a nice groove, with Bob Shad's crisp production dovetailing with Kynard's jazz funk sensibilities just right – not too slick or uptight at all! Kynard's backed here by a nice little LA combo that includes Carol Kaye on bass, King Errison on conga, and Ernie Watts on tenor – all players who relax nicely into the groove, and let Charles hit a sweetly gliding sort of line on the Hammond. The overall groove is similar to his earlier Prestige soul jazz classic Reelin' With The Feelin – but with shorter, tighter tracks, and more emphasis on the funk side, which is what we love to hear! Titles include "She", "Nightwood", "Grits", "El Toro Poo Poo", "Greeze", and "Greens".

Oliver Nelson - Black, Brown and Beautiful (1970) {Flying Dutchman Japan CDSOL-45715 rel 2017}
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© 1970, 2017 Flying Dutchman / Solid Records Japan | CDSOL-45715
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Arrangement

At last! Oliver Nelson's signature album from his Flying Dutchman period is on CD, only 47 years after it's initial release on vinyl and cassette in 1970. The album was previously available as a compressed digital download, and certain tracks were released a couple years back by Ace Records as part of the compilation Liberation Music: Spiritual Jazz And The Art Of Protest On Flying Dutchman Records 1969-1974.