Tadao Sawai

• GATEFOLD SLEEVE

A killer set of jazz rock from early 70s Japan – and a set that's way different than Anglo albums of this nature!

There's definitely a mix of horns, jazzy soloing, and electrified elements on guitar, bass, and keyboards – but the themes here are often strongly Japanese, and also feature work on a variety of traditional instruments – including koto and shakuhachi, all served up with a very cool sound throughout the set!

Players are a who's who of some of the more creative Japanese jazz musicians of the time – a lineup that includes Hozan Yamamoto, Takeshi Inomata, Tadao sawai, Sadanori Nakamure, Tatsuro Takimoto, and Kazue Sawai – and the record's got a number of elements that make it resonate with some of Hozan's coolest work from the period.

A few tracks get nice and funky, others are laidback and spiritual

PERSONNEL:

• Jake H. Concepcion - alto sax
• Norio Maeda - piano
• Tatsuro Takimoto - bass
• Takeshi Inomata - drums
• Sadanori Nakamure - guitar
• Kazue Sawai, Tadao Sawai - koto
• Osamu Nakajima - percussion
• Hozan Yamamoto - shakuhachi
• Tadataka Nakazawa - trombone
• Kenji Yoshida, Takehisa Suzuki - trumpet

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Kuroda Bushi
• A2. Hanagasa Odori
• A3. Soran Bushi
• A4. Sansa Shigure
• A5. Hietsuki Bushi
• A6. Sado Okesa

• SIDE B
• B1. Itsuki no Komoriuta
• B2. Hokkaibonuta
• B3. Kiso Bushi
• B4. Kaigara Bushi
• B5. Iso Bushi