Wednesday, October 9, 2019

KOSUKE ICHIHARA [市 原 宏 祐] – Departure / Introducing Kosuke Ichihara (CBS/Sony - SONP 50296-L / LP-1971)




Label: CBS / Sony - SONP 50296-L
Series: SX68Sound -, Sound Adventure Series -
Format: Vinyl , LP, Album / Country: Japan / Released: 1971
Style: Avant-garde, Modal, Free Improvisation
Recorded at CBS/Sony Studio, Roppongi, Tokyo on October 10-13, 1970.
Design [Cover] - Mitsuru Yamada
Photography By - Hozumi Nakadaira
Engineer [Recording] - Mitsukazu Tanaka , Ryusuke Sase
Producer - Koji Amenomori
Supervised By - Shoichi Yui
Directed By - Shinichi Hashimoto
Gatefold sleeve with insert.
Title given in katakana as "デパーチャー/イントロデューシング"
Matrix / Runout (Runout, Etching, Side A): 50296-A1 IA3
Matrix / Runout (Runout, Etching, Side B): 50296-B1 IA3

side 1:
A1 - Nothing On Either Side ..................................................................................... 11:24
A2 - Flow, As They Flow ............................................................................................ 6:14

side 2:
B1 - The Lupus ......................................................................................................... 11:35
B2 - Elegy ................................................................................................................. 11:22

Music and Arranged By – Masahiko Sato

Personnel:
Kosuke Ichihara – tenor saxophone, sopranino saxophone, flute
Masahiko Sato – fender piano
Masaoki Terakawa – bass
George Otsuka – drums, percussion
Hiroki Tamaki / Seiichiro Yamamoto – violin
Osamu Suzuki – viola
Toshibumi Waki – cello

This is the first work as a leader by Love Live Life leader and tenor Kosuke Ichihara. The composition is Masahiko Sato, who participates in the electric piano. One from the CBS-SONY Sound Adventure series.



This work is often described as avant-garde jazz, but Love Live Life (3L) has a strong New Rock color, but this is the basic while still incorporating the latest sounds of modal, free, electric, etc. It is composed of jazz idiom, and you can see that 3L is in a different line.
There are two compositions on page A, the first "Nothing On Either Side" is a song, piercing with a free-form ad-lib from, a brilliant opening for the track "Flow, As They Flow" a beautiful ballad with a delicate touch.




Side B begins with "The Lupus", maestral groovy funky tune, and the album ends with 11+ minutes "Elegy" featuring a flute with a conceptual flow with avant-garde touch strings on the front and back. It is finished in a joyful work where you can feel the excitement of interplay in the midst of tension.
All the compositions are very attractive and well thought out, and the overall flow is wonderful. It is one that can be enjoyed by Kosuke Ichihara and Masahiko Sato at the peak...

Another rare Japanese beauty. ENJOY!



If you find it, buy this album!