UEMATSU, TAKAO QUARTET/QUINTET – Debut (Three Blind Mice ‎– 3 / LP-1970)

Label: Three Blind Mice ‎– TBM-3

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Japan / Released: 1970

Style: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz

Recorded 19 Nov. 1970 at Nippon Hoso (1st Studio), Tokyo, Japan.

Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa

Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Yoshihiko Kannari

Producer – Takeshi Fujii

Matrix / Runout: (Side 1 Runout Stamped): a 949 T

Matrix / Runout: (Side 2 Runout Stamped): a 950

side 1:

A1 - Inside Parts  (T. Uematsu) ................................................................................ 11:09

A2 - Stella By Starlight  (V. Young) ............................................................................ 9:31

side 2:

B1 - T.I.  (Y. Suzuki) ................................................................................................... 8:46

B2 - Sleep, My Love  (Y. Suzuki) ............................................................................... 7:48

Personnel:

Takao Uematsu – tenor saxophone

Sadayasu Fujii – electric piano [fender piano]

Yoshio Suzuki – bass

George Otsuka – drums, percussion

Takashi Imai – trombone (B1, B2)

This is where it all started... The legendary independent jazz label Three Blind Mice was established in 1970, with a clear mission of introducing true talents without consideration for commercialism...

A great debut from Japanese tenorist Takao Uematsu – a player who blows here with a wonderful sense of tone right from the start – almost an inherent sense of spiritualism that he still manages bring to tunes with a straight ahead swing! The approach is a bit like Archie Shepp in that cool stretch when he was stepping away from the outside – and Uematsu's clearly a player who knows the far reaches, but often just hints at them in his music – while moving through these long-blown lines spurred on by a really wonderful group! The combo features excellent Fender Rhodes from Sadayasu Fujii – who stretches out on the long tracks on the set – plus trombone from Takashi Imai, bass from Yoshio Suzuki, and drums from George Otsuka. Titles include "TI", "Sleep My Love", "Stella By Starlight", and "Inside Parts".    (Dusty Groove, Inc.)

It has stood the test of time, and even today, sounds fresh, exciting and just plain brilliant.

If you find it, buy this album!