Artist: Tadao Sawai & Kazue Sawai & Hozan Yamamoto & Sadanori Nakamure & Tatsuro Takimoto & Takeshi Inomata
Title: Jazz Rock
Label: MR BONGO
Format: LP

1970年代、ボブ・ジェームスはクラシックをアレンジし一世を風靡したが日本では前田憲男が民謡を大胆にアレンジ。沢井忠夫や山本邦山のソロを中心とした和ジャズ・ロックが存分に楽しめる作品。

ジャズ・ロックにアレンジされた日本の民謡はいま聴いても大変斬新。前田憲男のアレンジがさらりとしているようで意外と強烈。琴、尺八のソロにホーンを加えたリズムが一体となったグルーブ感が炸裂。

-Track List-
A1. Kuroda Bushi 黒田節
A2. Hanagasa Odori 花笠踊り
A3. Soran Bushi そうらん節
A4. Sansa Shigure さんさ時雨
A5. Hietsuki Bushi ひえつき節
A6. Sado Okesa 佐渡おけさ

B1. Itsuki no Komoriuta 五ッ木の子守唄
B2. Hokkaibonuta 北海盆唄
B3. Kiso Bushi 木曽節
B4. Kaigara Bushi 貝殻節
B5. Iso Bushi 磯節
B6. Nanbu Ushioi Uta 南部牛追唄

【参加メンバー / 楽器】 Jake H. Concepcion(as) Norio Maeda(p) (前田憲男) Tatsuro Takimoto(b) (滝本達郎) Takeshi Inomata(ds) (猪俣猛) Sadanori Nakamure(g) (中牟礼貞則) Kazue Sawai(koto) (沢井一恵) Tadao Sawai(koto) (沢井忠夫) Osamu Nakajima(per) (中島御) Hozan Yamamoto(shakuhachi) (山本邦山) Tadataka Nakazawa(tb) (中沢忠孝) Kenji Yoshida(tp) (吉田謙二) Takehisa Suzuki(tp) (鈴木武久)

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and going by 'Jazz Rock’, nor a record by its title. Though entering into jazz territory and featuring some distorted guitar, 'Jazz Rock' is more a beautiful marriage of funky breakbeat drumming and spiritual jazz instrumentation, combined with traditional Min'yō music performed on the koto and shakuhachi.

Originally released in 1973, the record sounds simultaneously vintage and contemporary. It is akin to something Madlib might dream up whilst lost in Japan collaborating with Min'yō players at a recording session. The record features some amazing shakuhachi (bamboo flute) playing by Hozan Yamamoto, which gives the music a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere. You can almost visualise the long grass blowing in the wind, and hear the bamboo rustling in the distance on a long hot summer’s day. Takeshi Inomata, Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai anchor the session. Takeshi’s exceptionally funky-drum work will almost certainly get some producers dusting off and firing up their MPC's. Whilst Kazue and Tadao work their magic on the koto (a traditional string instrument).

Though certainly not an ambient record, 'Jazz-Rock' has the same meditative, other-worldly quality that invites you to sit back, listen and be transported somewhere else. Unfortunately, until now the 'Jazz Rock' album is a scarcity that commanded a high price-tag only for the most hardened of record collectors. So it is pleasure to make it accessible to all, and we hope you dig this lost, obscure future-classic as much as we do.