SABU TOYOZUMI/MOTOTERU TAKAGI – If Ocean Is Broken (Rec.1971/2LP-2009)

Label: Qbico – Qbico 95

Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition / Country: Italy / Released: 2009

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live in April 1971 at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

Cover Design – Qbico

Mastered By – Harumi Hayashi

Recorded By – Tanso Watazumi

Matrix / Runout (Runouts A): blue QBICO 95 A

Matrix / Runout (Runouts B): blue QBICO 95 B

Matrix / Runout (Runouts C): red 2 QBICO 95 C

Matrix / Runout (Runouts D): red 2 QBICO 95 D

A - Song For Yoo-Ki Lee ................................................................................. 20:05

B - If Ocean Is Broken .................................................................................... 25:27

C - The Alilan Pass ......................................................................................... 24:10

D - Nostalgia For Che-ju Island ...................................................................... 24:30

Sabu Toyozumi – drums, percussion

Mototeru Takagi – tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet

Limited edition of 200 copies, somewhat modified design, pressed on blue and red vinyl (very rare). Recorded live in April 1971 at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

In the front cover is photo of Kubira (Shōtora) a Kamakura period sculpture, on the back cover is an image polychromed wood statue of En no Gyoja, also from the Kamakura Period (1185-1333).

Unreleased free jazz from Japan in its prime, recorded live in Tokyo in 1971. Mototeru Takagi already released two beautiful duo LPs back then with master Japanese drummers like Masahiko Togashi (Isolation) and Toshi Tsuchitori (Origination), so this last DLP is complete in a sense the set of duo recorded with the best, 1st generation, free music drummers from Japan. On the other side it's complete also, the duo recorded by Sabu with the greatest reeds player from Japan (still of the 1st generation); being, his various duos with legendary Kaoru Abe, already documented on Qbico (Senzei) and elsewhere. About the music: raw and passionate = primitive beauty; both musicians are in top form and surely in their most creative period. Mr. Takagi plays tenor, soprano sax and bass clarinet, while Sabu is on drums and percussion. Original recordings were very well preserved (fortunately) and the pressing came out wonderful! Cover by qbico which Sabu can really dig, saying that En no Gyoja is deeply respected by him, he opened the way... AND that was his master's guru... (strange coincidences ?!...)

_ Qbico

Shockingly well performed gig. Enjoy!

If you find it, buy this album!

YOSUKE YAMASHITA TRIO – Chiasma (MPS Records / BASF - LP-1976)

Label: MPS Records / BASF – 68.115 / 20 22678-6

Format: Vinyl, LP / Country: W. Germany / Released: 1976

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live June 6, 1975 at the Heidelberger Jazztage.

Cover Design By – Horst Weber

Photography By [Reverse Side] – Ralph Quinke

Recorded By [Engineer] – Carlos Albrecht

Mixed on Tonstudio Bauer

Produced By – Horst Weber

Sleeve Notes [Translation] – Thomas Fitterling

Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, stamped): A 1(lying) 0022 678 S 1 3 20

Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, stamped): A 1(lying) 0022 678 S 2 3 20

Exactly like release 20 22678-6 but with a sticker MPS - 68.115 on the back side cover (upper right corner), red label MPS/BASF release.

A1 - Double Helix ................................................................................................. 4:24

A2 - Nita ............................................................................................................... 4:51

A3 - Chiasma ....................................................................................................... 7:14

B1 - Horse Trip .................................................................................................... 3:44

B2 - Introhach ...................................................................................................... 4:05

B3 - Hachi .......................................................................................................... 12:50

Yosuke Yamashita – piano

Akira Sakata – alto saxophone – Akira Sakata

Takeo Moriyama – drums, percussion

Leader & founded by pianist Yosuke Yamashita, most references encountered refer to him as “The Japanese Cecil Taylor”! Taylor has clearly been a tremendous inspiration for Yosuke who has frequently eulogized him & lavished his idol with the highest of adulation as well as sharing at least one performance together. But Yosuke & indeed his trio are no epigone or second-rate plagiarists. Paired with long time affiliate saxophonist Akira Sakata, an absolute madman of screaming, implacable excoriation, manic instability & one of the most truly ferocious, precise & demolishingly devastating drummers of all time Takeo Moriyama, they unleash an unimaginably ascetic sustained avalanche of bellicosity & divine-wrath of mythical man-beast mensuration. like martial-deities, they foment an allo-secular degree of extremes, urgency, threat & sybaritic smouldering impetuosity & emotion-lead rampageous incandescence.

YYT-Akira Sakata One of the things so exciting & precious about these guys is their commitment to doing battle in the outer-limits, as in do-or-die, foot through the floor fulgurous-ferocity. There’s just no fucking around, they ALWAYS deliver, & their over-spilling magnanimity & direct & staunchly substantial application renders that charred, direct-hit satisfaction. More than anything actually, the most consecutive, tremulous & assaulting component is Takeo, who only seems to be interested in “going for guts” & enforcing his speed-fixated, mesomorphic fanaticism & budo enhanced (surely?) power, consistently collapsing the foundries & throwing their severed pieces in a million directions. His power, stamina & fury are legendary phenomenology, but also his punctilious & tight playing, with clean & vicious rolls galore shredding adversaries & obstacles. The guy even looks the part, like notorious 1960’s psycho lone gangster actor Bunko Sugiwara, aviators, Buddhist crop, flaccid fag lolling out his chops á-la tepodama-hoodlum & attire to match (perhaps a tanto in the waist-line?!). Takeo is the only member that never seems to contrite or enact remission, he’s just always killing it & enmeshes intensity even on the very rare slower/para sections. As for Sakata, this guy makes the sax screel like a banshee, constantly bursting the nerve with those high pitched strained screamers & super-fast prismic- paracemes. YYT-Takeo Moriyama He endows some of the most emotive & non-rational imprecation to edge-up the instability. & of course we have Yosuke himself, definitely the most dynamic member who sometimes rides the current & plays a series of variables (rather than solely erratic & fast) & fractal techniques. When not careening all over the keys with his cohorts rankled & rash explosives, he mangles many forms of vaguely traditional & melodic motives with the drastic & dissolute free-form of aggressive improvisation & Avant-Garde. Together at full reciprocity velocity, these philippic conflagrating aiguilles of remorseless jocund excess, tearing through like some kind of biblical storm, bursting & inspissating with over-abundance & splendorous savagery just chop the blocks like nobody’s business. Amazing! & one of the best & most intense Off-Road Free Jazz experiences available...

Note:

Versions of “Chiasma” also occur on three of LP records (Clay, Frozen Days & the Up-To Date) as well as two alternative takes of “Double Helix”.

If you find it, buy this album!

AKIRA SAKATA TRIO – Counter Clockwise Trip (Frasco-FS-7001/LP-1975)

Label: Frasco – FS-7001

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo / Country: Japan / Released: 1975

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded in München Union Studio, West Germany  3,4,5 July 1975.

Cover Design By – Ishikawa Hideomi

Photography By – Uchida Takumi

Engineer [Recording] By – Günther Zipelius

Assistent Engineer By – George Dirtinger

Produce  – Akira Sakata for Frasco

Album Produce – Kitazawa Yasutaka

A3, B1, B2 written-by – Akira Sakata

Matrix / Runout: (Side A runout, stamped) FS7001A

Matrix / Runout: (Side B runout, stamped) FS7001B

A1 - Frascoration ............................................................................................. 8:54

         (T. Moriyama)

A2 - Bass Folk Song No.2 ............................................................................... 2:30

         (A. Roidinger)

A3 - Automatic Moon ...................................................................................... 7:29

B1 - Combination ............................................................................................ 9:51

B2 - Counter-Clockwise Trip ........................................................................... 9:03

Akira Sakata – alto saxophone, clarinet

Adelhard Roidinger – bass

Takeo Moriyama – drums, percussion

Yosuke Yamashita "Chiasma" recorded on a Trio Summer Europe Tour on June 6, 1975 at the Heidelberger Jazztage, Germany.
Album "Counter Clockwise Trip" is then recorded in a month later (3,4,5 July) in Munich Union Studio, Germany, as Akira Sakata Trio. Akira Sakata (saxophone, clarinet) is a leader, and there is a bassist Adelhard Roidinger in place of Yosuke Yamashita. Drums & percussion, of course, the same master Takeo Moriyama.

Sakata going through the sharp pulse of Moriyama Takeo as expected. The bass is also as much talkative as saxophone and drum as much as possible, and it is fully adapted to their essence, sticking to beat-driven things. From the beginning to the end, an album that was dominated by a sense of speed.

Even so, the impression of Moriyama Takeo's drum is softer than Yosuke Yamashita Trio. He got something like some sort of mechanical precision, I thought, this is also very interesting...

If you find it, buy this album!

MOTOHARU YOSHIZAWA (吉沢元治) – Inland Fish (Trio Rec-PA-3164 / LP-1974)

Label: Trio Records – PA-3164

Series: Jazz Chaos Of Japan –

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue / Country: Japan / Released: 1974

Style: Free Improvisation, Free Jazz

Recorded live at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Shinjuku, Tokyo, September 13, 1974.

Artwork [Illustrated By] – Tsuneo Shiga

Design – Yoshio Watanabe

Photography By [Liner Photo] – Yuhzoh Fujimoto

Recorded By, Mixed By – Kunio Arai

Producer – Kazuo Harada, Kuniya Inaoka

Concert Producer – Akira Aida

Matrix / Runout (A Side): PA-3164-A Y1

Matrix / Runout (B Side): PA-3164-B Y2

Tracklist:

A1 - Inland Fish ............................................................................................... 14:47

A2 - Mado – Window ........................................................................................ 5:57

B1 - Fragment 1 ................................................................................................ 3:45

B2 - Correspondance ...................................................................................... 16:31

Motoharu Yoshizawa – bass

Sabu Toyozumi – drums, percussion (B2)

 A solitary bass player who loved mountain top fires. Very rare Japan LP with Japanese liner notes sheet.

Recorded "Motoharu Yoshizawa Bass Solo Recital - Inland Fish" live at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Shinjuku, Tokyo, September 13, 1974.

It is the first work of the bass-solo improvisation trilogy announced in the mid-70's. A breakthrough piece that can enjoy bass solos that are not merely variations. Recording live at Yoshizawa Motoharu's first recital.

A briliant...! I love this album very much.

If you find it, buy this album!

KAORU ABE/MOTOHARU YOSHIZAWA – 北 [NORD] Abe • Yoshizawa Duo '75

Label: ALM-Uranoia – UR-5

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Japan / Released: 1981

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded at Iruma Shimin Kaikan, on October 15 (A1, A2) and recording live

at Aoyama Tower Hall from Concert "Mort À Crédit" (B), on October 18, 1975.

Artwork (Cover Design) – Akio Suzuki

Photography By – Tatsuo Nagao

Photography By, Other [Concert Producer] – Aquirax Aida

Liner Notes – Go Murakami, Toshihiko Shimizu

Recorded, Producer – Yukio Kojima

Tracks:

A1 - Duo Improvisation No.1 .................................................................................. 11:20

A2 - Duo Improvisation No.2 .................................................................................. 12:54

B  -  Duo Improvisation No.3 .................................................................................. 29:41

Kaoru Abe – alto saxophone

Motoharu Yoshizawa – bass, cello

Yoshizawa Motoharu wrapping strings and stringed resonance sound warmly flows, enveloping Kaoru Abe. Dialogue starts from there. It's gentle...

Hot air has already been lost from the block, and it was impossible to hear cracked agitations exhaled from the magnet speaker. While listening to their sounds, I remember the air of a time, I remember it a little, a little, somewhat, just a little...  it is certain that Kaoru Abe was watching "something beautiful" behind a scorched earthy sound. I felt strongly that it was not just roaring but something like an admiration for such a world to be built in a dialogue with a heavily light Yoshisawa bass...

The charm of Kaoru Abe is not actually found in the style as Free jazz but rather like the sound of ordinary people in Japan is scattered like a residue... Beautiful recording.



If you find it, buy this album!

MARCELLO MELIS – Angedras (Black Saint – BSR 0073 / LP-1983)

Label: Black Saint – BSR 0073

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Italy / Released: 1983

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded at Sonic Studios, Roma, August, 1982.

Cover Art – Susanna Contini

Photography – Nina Melis Contini

Engineer – Massimo Rocci

Liner Notes – Alberto Rodriguez

Executive-producer – Giovanni Bonandrini

Producer – Marcello Melis

Composed By, Arranged By – Marcello Melis

Matrix / Runout (A-side runout): BSR 0073-A 11-8-83 I△

Matrix / Runout (B-side runout): BSR 0073-B 11-8-83 I△

Tracklist:

A1 - Angedras 1 (Water) .............................................................................. 7:56

A2 - Angedras 2 (Earth) ............................................................................... 8:59

B1 - Angedras 3 (Air) ................................................................................. 10:03

B2 - Angedras 4 (Fire) ................................................................................. 5:45

Personnel:

Marcello Melis – bass, vocals, effects [radio dial]

Sandro Satta – alto saxophone

Don Pullen – piano

Famoudou Don Moye – drums, percussion

"Angedras" is the mirror image of "Sardegna" (the Italian name for Sardinia).

A beautiful suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – composed and arranged by Italian bassist Marcello Melis – and performed by him with a quartet that includes Don Moye on percussion, Don Pullen on piano, and Sandro Satta on alto sax. The work's got a quality that really seems to bring out an imaginative side of Moye and Pullen – and focus them with an energy that's different, yet still very much in keeping with their best work of the time. Melis' presence on the album is almost more that of an "enabler" than an equal player, and he's clearly respectful of the others – in a way that really allows the session to unfold with an organic feel. Titles are listed as "Angedras", 1 through 4. (Out of print.)

(_Dusty Groove, Inc.)

If you find it, buy this album!

LEROY JENKINS' STING – Urban Blues (Black Saint – BSR 0083 / LP-1984)

Label: Black Saint – BSR 0083

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Italy / Released: 1984

Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded live January 2, 1984 at Sweet Basil, New York City.

Artwork [Cover] – Niridan

Photography By [Cover] – Linda Harris

Engineer – Kazunori Sugiyama

Mastered By – Gennaro Carone

Producer – Leroy Jenkins

Executive-Producer – Giovanni Bonandrini

Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout): BSR 0083-A- 84 I △ [etched]

Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout): BSR 0083-B- 84 I △ [etched]

A1 - Static In The Attic ................................................................................. 6:25

A2 - Looking For The Blues ......................................................................... 9:50

A3 - Come On Home, Baby ......................................................................... 2:25

B1 - Why Can't I Fly ..................................................................................... 5:31

B2 - O.W. Fredrick ....................................................................................... 7:15

B3 - No Banks River .................................................................................... 4:00

B4 - Through The Ages, Jehova .................................................................. 2:53

Leroy Jenkins – violin

James Emery – guitar

Brandon Ross – guitar

Terry Jenoure – violin, vocals

Alonzo Gardner – bass

Kamal Sabir – drums, percussion

Violinist Leroy Jenkins was at the helm of Sting, which played funky and free, did originals and vintage spirituals, and would shift from stretches of collective improvisation to challenging solo exchanges. They were a unique, intriguing group, but sadly didn't last. This 1984 album presented them at their best, displaying the breadth of influences, genres, sources and styles that converged and resulted in the work of a great band.

(_Review by Ron Wynn)

If you find it, buy this album!