Terumasa Hino - Taro's Mood

I'll step away from lps by our Japanese friends for awhile after this one, I promise. But there are so many damn good recordings, check out a couple of the blogs listed in the side bar, they really have it covered.

This is a particularly great one one that I haven't seen make an appearance elsewhere. Three workouts with the side long final track the real star.

1. Alone, Alone and Alone
2. Taro's Mood
3. Predawn

Terumasa Hino - trumpet
Mikio Masuda - piano
Yoshio Ikeda - bass
Motohiko Hino - drums
Yuji Imamura - conga

recorded live at jazzclub domicile, munich, germany.  7/29/73

vinyl rip

Manny Albam - West Side Story

Manny Albam gathers some buddies and records what is essentially a big band recording of the most influential soundtrack from my teens. When I was just a lad I didn't realize how this soundtrack would work it's way into the very fiber of my being. It resides there to this day, just waiting to be shaken awake occasionally. You can't tell me you don't find it so yourself.

 Did I mention that Albam and friends pulled it off? Cuz they did.

 Manny Albam and his Jazz Greats

 1.Prologue and Jet Song ..
.2.Something's Coming
 3. Cool
 4. Maria
 5. Tonigt
 6. I Feel Pretty
 7. Somewhere
 8. Finale

Manny Albam's Jazz Greats on this lp are: Gene Quill, Ernie Royal, Osie Johnson, Milt Hinton, Hank Jones, Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer, Wendell Marshall, Ed Costa, amongst others.


Decca Records DL4517

vinyl rip

Togashi-Yamashita Duo - Kizashi

Another from the wonderful pianist Yosuke Yamashita, this time in a duo setting with masterful drummer Masahiko Togashi. Impressive stuff .
 The outstanding blog barabara sounds put this up a few years ago. I wish I had known that sooner, as I would have been listening to it the last couple of years. Don't know if it is still there, they have been sadly quiet for awhile.
 Still I landed a nice copy and I thought it was time to share some of the jazz I been digging so much lately with my friends.
 Dig these duets, kids. Yeah there's more solo drum than necessary but the whole damn thing is barely a couple of drinks long and the piano kicks ass. They pulled off a live version of this lp that I would love to hear.

1. Action
2. May green
3. Nostalgia
4. Feelin' Spring
5. Duo Dance
6. We Now Singing

Masahiko Togashi - percussion
Yosuke Yamashita - piano

recorded 4/15-17/80, Tokyo

vinyl rip

Yosuke Yamashita - solo piano

Time and weather influence your listening choices. It's true, just think about it. Anyway it's just before midnight, it's lightly raining after storming all evening. I'm on the back porch hanging mellow. Bourbon in hand, I'm totalling digging some solo piano which just seems perfect right now.

But I chose to not go down the backroads of america but to venture to the land of the rising sun. I been digging this jazz from japan for the last few years. The good stuff is hard to come by, the great stuff...ridiculous.

 Here's a couple of really good solo piano lps. These are a bit more laid back than Yamashita's trio stuff, but perfectly played for a night like this.

The lps are " Alone" and "Breathtake"

Alone
1. Flight Of The Autumn Leaves
2. Communication
3. Paraphrase
4. Closing Theme

recorded Toshicenter Hall, Tokyo, 3/14/74

Breathtake
1. Roihani
2. Echo
3. Mina's Second Theme
4. Breathtake
5. Entlam
6. It Will Be Forever
7. Turning Point

recorded Munich Union Studio 1975