Terumasa Hino

An early hardbop gem from Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino - quite different than you might think from his more famous work of the 70s - with a rolling, soulful groove that would almost be at home on 60s Blue Note! Given Hino's chosen instrument, we'd probably link this one best to some of the more creative late 60s sides from Lee Morgan - still with an ear for a hard-edge groove, but also stepping out a bit too - with work from Takeru Muraoka on tenor, Hiroshi Suzuiki on trombone, and Masabumi Kikuchi on piano. Cuts include a nice cover of Duke Pearson's "The Magilla", a groovy version of "Feelin' Good", and a trippy take on "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - plus the tracks "And Satisfy" and "Mississippi Dip".

David Liebman Quintet - If They Only Knew (1980) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 286 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
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© 1980, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6341
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Post Bebop / Fusion / Saxophone / Guitar

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. There's a lot of great chromatic elements going on here – thanks to the work of John Scofield on guitar, who's at that key point where he could effortlessly balance melody and tone with these edges that are sharp, but also very spacious – kind of a wide style that really reaches out and wraps up the rest of the players in the group! Not that the record's one of John's as a leader, because the real driving force here is David Liebman on tenor and soprano sax – but he also seems to let Scofield set the tone at many times – which opens up work from the rest of the players, who include Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Ron McClure on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. This approach makes the record a lot less arch than some of Liebman's other material from the time – and titles include "Reunion", "Moontide", "Move On Some", "Autumn In New York", "If They Only Knew", and "Capitstrano".

Masabumi Kikuchi - One Way Traveller (1982) {2016 Japan Crossover & Fusion Collection 1000 Series SICJ 170}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 285 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 97 Mb
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© 1982, 2016 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 170
Jazz / Fusion / Electric Jazz / Jazz Funk / Keyboards

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. A gem of a record from Japanese keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi – one of those massive Japanese fusion classics that was partly recorded overseas, partly here in the US – with a sound that brings together all the best soulful aspects of both scenes! Kikuchi can create some really weird, wonderful sounds when he wants – but can also slide into a groove with the best of them – and, given the vintage of the record, may well be more inventive than Herbie Hancock ever was at this point in his career! The lineup's filled with great talents – trumpeter Terumasa Hino, reedman Steve Grossman, and guitarist James Mason – coming together wonderfully on titles that include "Sky Talk", "Madjap Express", "Alacalder", and "Sum Dum Fun".

Johnny Hartman - The Tokyo Albums (1972) {Gambit Records 69216 rel 2005}
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© 1972, 2005 Emi-Toshiba / Gambit Records | 69216
Jazz / Bop / Standards / Vocal Jazz

2 complete albums on 1 CD: only previously released on two separate LPs in Japan, both now out of print. Includes the complete albums: "Johnny Hartman: Trane's Favorites" and "Johnny Hartman Meets Terumasa Hino". One of the finest singers in jazz history, Johnny Hartman's discography made up in quality for its lack of quantity. This, of course, adds extra importance to each and every Hartman recording - especially his recordings in a small band format, as is the case with these two outstanding Tokyo albums.

Guitarist John Scofield's debut as a leader was originally cut for the Japanese Trio label. Scofield's sound was already pretty recognizable this early in his career, although his playing was more funk-oriented than it would become. Scofield is teamed with bassist Clint Houston, drummer Motohiko Hino and (on two of the six selections) trumpeter Terumasa Hino. "Amy" is taken as an unaccompanied guitar solo, which gives the date a bit more variety. The music still sounds pretty strong over two decades later, although for John Scofield, there would be many more steps forward in his future development.