The Bamboo Flute

One of the coolest albums ever cut by Japanese wood flute player Hozan Yamamoto – a set that has him working with very groovy backings from the Sharps & Flats ensemble – who almost give the whole thing an MPS label blending of funky jazz and world music sounds! The approach is wonderful – a bit more upbeat and swinging than some of Yamamoto's other records, as Nobuo Hara leads the larger group with a totally cool sound – which makes the flute lines a sweet exotic touch over straightforward, soul-drenched, big band jazz! We might even link the sound to some of Dorothy Ashby's grooviest albums for Chess/Cadet – although with flute, instead of harp.

During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) a broad diffusion of Western music flowed into Japan, first in the form of military band music and. later, Protestant hymns. By 1900, recitals of piano, violin and song were quite popular. Composers like Prokofiev, and performers such as Heifetz, Kreisler and Segovia also encouraged this musical direction, which strongly followed German Romanticism and French Impressionism. The new Western repertoire found a place with the traditional Japanese music, hdgaku, and as the two traditions came in contact, a new and unique form of music emerged. One of the most fascinating developments in Japanese music was the introduction of new instruments in the south of Japan, and their metamorphosis as they migrated north via Kyoto and Tokyo. Several composers on this disc have focused on natural themes, with water being a favourite and obvious choice. The works have been chosen to give a sampling of the diversity of Japanese music, from the beautiful, traditional folk-songs to the complex and challenging multi-movement works, many of which evoke the traditional instruments, namely shakuhachi and koto.

John Lee & Gerry Brown - Bamboo Madness (1974) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 264 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 98 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 229 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1974, 2015 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6419
Jazz / Neo Bop / Fusion / Drums / Bass / Flute

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. A sweet 70s set from the ultra-hip rhythm duo of bassist John Lee and drummer Gerry Brown – working here in a European setting with loads of great reed work to support the "bamboo" vibe of the title! Flute player Chris Hinze blows both bamboo and regular flute – and the feel of the set is like some of his excellent fusion dates from the same time – but the record also has lots of great work from Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, plus some keyboards from Hubert Eaves and Jasper Van'T Hof – two very different players who balance out the mood nicely. Some tracks are full-on fusion, but they're offset by mellower, more introspective passages – of the sort that really let the reed players come out strongly – and titles include "Jua", "Rise On", "Who Can See The Shadow Of The Moon", "Infinite Jones", and "Deliverance".

Yusef Lateef, Adam Rudolph, Go: Organic Orchestra - In the Garden (2003) {Meta Digital Download, Bandcamp 16-44.1 rel 2018}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 604 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 242 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2003, 2018 Meta Records | YAL 008
Jazz / Progressive Jazz / Creative Music / Experimental / Percussion

For this, the third concert recording of Go: Organic Orchestra, artistic director Adam Rudolph has reunited with longtime collaborator and mentor Yusef Lateef. Rudolph conducts the orchestra in an improvisational process, utilizing themes and cues he and Lateef have composed. From these compositional modules, Rudolph spontaneously constructs the sonic environments with which the soloists interact.