Tamami Koyake - Someday (1982)

What’s up everyone. I’ve been in a total rut due to issues not needing addressed here and the only way to break out of it is to whip up a quick post.

I have a more thorough post in the drafts for excellent saxophonist and living legend Sadao Watanabe and I will work on getting it completed. In the meantime, we can wish the icon a happy 92^nd birthday, which was this past Saturday, February 1^st, and take a look into a little gem that I stumbled upon late last year.

Released in 1982, Someday is the sophomore album from flautist Tamami Koyake, released on the fantastic Better Days label. Here we have Fumio Itabashi on keys, Hiroshi Yoshino on bass, Koichi Hiroki on guitar, Hiroshi Hatsuyama on violin and marimba, with old friend Ryojiro Furusawa on drums. We also have additional support on drums and vocals from Shota Koyama.

Lucky for us, most of the tunes here are Furusawa tunes we’ve heard before. We begin with a nice, quick rendition of “History Of Tabasco”, a spicy tune we fittingly first heard on 1978’s Spicy Islands. Koyake opens with very nice play followed by Itabashi who is frankly remarkable. We’ll maybe listen in to his catalog when we’re finished here.

The next tune is from Ryojiro’s excellent 1977 album Racco, and after a bass intro, “Cum-Cum” develops nicely as Koyake enters. Itabashi helps finish this one off before we move to “You Wanna Rain” from the RF album of the same name. Enter the marimba and we have a nice groovy feel between Koyake and Hatsuyama with Yoshino keeping things together underneath nicely on bass.

The next tune, “Kita” translates to North and I don’t recall hearing it previously, but it is credited to Furusawa. We have a bit of a post-bop, spiritual touch here with more great bass playing from Yoshino and Koyake reaching deeper into her bag. Itabashi also continues to play terrifically. “EMI” is next up with a touch of samba, I guess you could say. We also have some acoustic guitar from Hiroki. This tune originally appeared on Furusawa’s 1980 album, Kijimuna. I’m not sure if we covered that one on our original post or not.

The very distinctive sounding “Snake Walk” is next up, this rendition seeming a touch quicker than what we heard on You Wanna Rain. We work into a hardbop tempo with Itabashi and Yoshino keeping a quick pace. Yoshino also gets the bow out for this one.

The title track follows, the lone Koyake original, with a very soft and pleasant sound from the flautist and Itabashi on piano.

We close with “Poca-Poca” from Ryojiro but I don’t know that we’ve heard this one before. The sound here has an island vibe to it a bit, something you’ll hear more of from Furusawa on his 1980’s albums. Great tempo and great vibes to close out a nice little album.

When we come back we’ll take a look at the remaining releases I have here for Koyake. Stay tuned.

Seawind - Part 2

Hey there. Back today to quickly finish up our look into jazz-funk band, Seawind.

We move into the 80s with the 1980 release, Seawind. Another self-titled album not to be confused with the 1976 debut album we already covered. We have a massive personnel list accompanying the original band, so please check the link for the full list.

We’re starting to get a little softer here as the catalog unfortunately starts to taper off a bit. We do have a nice live version of “Everything Needs Love” which has more of a jazz-rock feel to it. We have another nice, groovy tune in “Still In Love” that also features some nice strings. Those are the 2 highlights here for me.

Next for us is a 1982 album featuring a different vocalist. Summer Nights features vocalist Marlene joining the original band along with another sizeable supporting personnel cast.

This one starts off with more promise with the very funky title tune. We have a couple other solid tunes in “I Could Dance Tonight” and “Semi-Forgotten Movie” before we get to another highlight for me in “Good Enough For You.” Perhaps give the vocal version a visit if you find the instrumentals here a little mundane.

I'm not sure of the circumstances but that was the last release for the band. The original band got back together in 2009 for a final album titled, Reunion. They also brought trumpeter Larry Hall along.

The one also starts off strongly with a nice tune in “He Loves You” but I particularly start digging this one towards the end. “Pearl” is a nice tune along with the following “You’re My Everything,” which features a nice bass line and overall groove. One of my favorites from the catalog is the “Devil Is A Liar” and we get a new rendition here. As expected, it's likely the best tune from the trio of today's albums. We sneak out of here with the closing "Liquid Spies" which again is a nice groovy tune to close out the catalog. 

Reunion did a lot of the heavy lifting here but I hope you guys found the overall sound of this band to be enjoyable. 

We will continue with the funky for a few posts. Stay tuned.

Seawind

Hey everyone. Back today to get back into things after finishing our deep dive into Terumasa Hino.

Lucky for us, I've found a ton of new to me music that is fantastic. Looking forward to sharing it with you guys. 

Today we're going to look into the jazz-funk/fusion band Seawind. You may remember we came across their horn section on the Alphonse Mouzon, By All Means album. Turns out they have a handful of albums in the late-70s, early 80s. Some tunes are hit or miss but overall pretty good vibes throughout here. 

One important note: I made instrumentals for each album back when I found their catalog and they’re what I've been listening to. There are vocals throughout, and I've included the originals of course, but I will be discussing these records with the instrumentals in mind. Overall I think the instrumentals turned out OK but some vocals leak through here and there.

Originally formed in Hawaii, the group consists of multi-instrumentalist, Larry Williams, who plays keys and various reeds, reedsman Kim Hutchcroft, guitarist Bud Nuanez, trumpeter Jerry Hey, bassist Ken Wild and drummer Bob Wilson. Pauline Wilson lent the vocals.

The first album we have here is simply titled Seawind and released in 1976. Some additional personnel notes for this album are Paulinho Da Costa and Ralph MacDonald on percussion and Harvey Mason lends some percussion and vocal support.

We jump right into it with the super funky opening tune “We Got A Way” followed by the equally groovy “You Gotta Be Willin’ To Lose (Part II).” One of the best tunes of the catalog is here in “The Devil Is A Liar” and we also have “Make Up Your Mind” which reminds me a touch of Sly And The FamilyStone, if you’re familiar with the iconic group. “Praise” is another nice tune that has a triumphant feeling to it. Things start to taper off a bit after that and the copy I have has a couple of bonus tracks included in “Can’t Wait” and “Please Say Yes.”

Overall an excellent start to the catalog. This album alone warrants a post, in my opinion. On to the next.

The following year in 1977, Seawind returned with Window Of A Child. The same group returns and our additional personnel on this one is the great Bill Summers and Harvey Mason on percussion, Bill Reichenbach is on trombone and Charles Veal is on strings. This one is dialed down a touch from the previous release.

This one also starts off nicely with “One Sweet Night” although not quite as energetic as the last album. Things pick up about midway through “Wings Of Love” and we get some nice bass play from Wild and guitarist Nuanez. Following the bouncy “Do Listen To” we get a very nice melody in “Campanas de Invierno” which reminds me somewhat of LaMont Johnson’s sound. 

We finally get a little funkier with “Angel Of Mercy” which has the most tempo on the album. And we also have “Lovin’ You” which is a nice little laid back, groovy tune that closes strong. “Hallelujah” is also a relatively brisk tune in comparison to the album before we close with another strong tune in “Countin’ The Days.” Not a bad finish to the album.

Next for us is the 1978 release, Light The Light. Looks to me that the main band returns without any additional personnel present. This one has a touch more tempo than the previous release.

More funky vibes here with “Free” being an early highlight and another top tune from the catalog. “Follow Your Road” slows things down a bit but finishes quite strong. The title track is another solid tune with great tempo. 

Hutchcroft shines on soprano sax on “Morning Star” before we move to the nicely paced “Imagine.” This one closes with “Enchanted Dance” which features some nice flute play, although I’m not sure if it’s coming from Hutchcroft or Larry Williams. Hey also has some nice playing on trumpet here as we wrap this album up. 

That's a wrap for our first 3 albums from Seawind. I'll be back in a couple days with 3 more. 

Terumasa Hino - 2000s & 2010s

Hey there. Here's our look into the 2000s & 2010s for Terumasa Hino. 

First up for the new century is the 2000 release, Transfusion. Joining Hino we have legends Ron Carter on bass with Jack DeJohnette on drums. We have Roland Hanna on piano, as well.

Based on title alone I hoped this was a nice late fusion record from Hino but that’s not the case. Very pleasant, straight-ahead stuff here. This one picks up a tick with “The Time & The Place” which is the main highlight for me. Nothing wrong with this one, just nothing really stands out too much to me.

Hino returned the following year with 2001’s D.N.A. featuring the same quartet we heard on Transfusion.

This one starts off with a little more personality in “Black Jack” and we have mostly the same sound we’ve been hearing throughout the 90s. “Internet” is another solid tune and we’re on to the next.

2003’s Here We Go Again is next up and Hino is back in Japan for this one. Joining him we have Seiji Tada on alto and soprano saxes, Akira Ishii on piano, Hideaki Kanazawa on bass with Eiichiro Toyama on drums. Moto is here on drums for track 10, “Authentic.”

More straight-ahead stuff here although we do go a little harder bop on “Charles Tone” and “Quick Solution.” But my favorite here is the ballad, “Melancholy Daddy.” Another solid, albeit tame, release from Hino.

We have ourselves an OST for our next release. I have it translating as The Translucent Tree. This is a duo album from Hino and pianist Ishii released in 2004.

Very soft throughout with “Ember The Tree” being quite nice. Like with many OSTs, we have some recurring sounds as we go. The final 4 tunes are long versions of the bulk of the album, with “Ember” being the best of the bunch, in my opinion.

In 2005, Hino released Dragon with a similar group made up of Ishii on piano, Tada on alto and soprano saxes, Jung Chic Lee on tenor sax, Kanazawa on bass with Koichi Inoue on drums.

This one starts off with "Mongolian Dragon" which is a touch more scattered than what we've been hearing recently. Otherwise we mostly have straight ahead stuff here with other highlights being "Big Foot" and "Beam." 

Hino returned the following year in 2006 with Crimson. Again we have Tada, Ishii, Kanazawa and Inoue, with the addition of percussionist Tomoo Tsurutani.

Mostly more of the same here but I do really dig the ballads this album has to offer. The muted trumpet on the opening "How Insensitive" and "Susan" is my favorite sound on this one. We also have a little rendition of "Summertime."

Last for the decade we have 2008's Jakko. Here we have Tada as well as Joh Yamada on sax, we have Ishii on piano with Masahiko Satoh also playing piano on tracks 1 & 6. We have Kanazawa on bass with Kazumaru on drums. 

This one is also a little more scattered than what we've been hearing since the mid-90s or so. "AM PM" is the highlight here for me while "Santa Cristina" is also a nice tune. 

Into the 2010s we go with only 2 more albums before we finish the series. I again thought 2011's Aftershock might just be the late fusion record I was hoping for. Based on personnel, hopefully this one is a little more interesting. 

Joining Hino we have Ishii on piano, Masahiko Satoh on synthesizer, Yosuke Onuma on electric guitar, Takashi Sugawa on acoustic bass and tabla with Kenji Hino on electric bass. We have Ogimi Gen on percussion with DJ Honda on turntables. The drums here sound to be coming from either Satoh on synthesizer or from DJ Honda. There isn't a traditional drummer which is a disappointment. 

Electro-jazz-fusion perhaps? This definitely has a spacey, broken beat vibe as it opens with "Inert Motion." Hard to pin down a favorite as I really don't know what to make of this album. Not a sound everyone will enjoy, but it has some redeemable moments. 

Eight years later in 2019, Hino released Beyond The Mirage, which is the last album we have here for the legendary trumpeter. 

Joining Hino here we have Ishii on piano, Ippei Kato on guitar, Tomokazu Sugimoto on bass with Shun Ishiwaka on drums. Maybe this is my late fusion record I'm dying for. 

We open with the title track which features great playing from the young drummer, Ishiwaka. We move on to "Long Branch" and we get some nice guitar playing from Kato with Ishiwaka continuing to shine. Looks like we need to see what else this young man has been up to. 

Next up is "Shun" which naturally features tons of soloing from the drummer. Another great tune here is "Buttonwood" and we get to hear Ishii on a Hammond B3. We also get another version of "Still Be Bop" which we originally heard on 1980's Daydream. All in all a pretty rock solid record to close our journey.

I hope everyone found something within Hino's catalog that they enjoyed. We'll be back soon. 

Terumasa Hino - 1990s

Hey there. Back today to begin the 1990s from Terumasa Hino. I'm about ready to move on to new horizons so I'm going to crank out these last few Hino posts. I'll extend my page a bit so they all show up.

We enter the new decade and first up is another live album. Recorded and released in 1991, Live In Warsaw features some new faces in John Hart on guitar, Roger Byam on sax, Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano, Jay Anderson on bass with Michael Carvin on drums.

This one opens fantastically with “Kimiko”, I’m assuming a tribute to the jazz singer Kimiko Kasai. Great playing from all involved. Byam and Hart specifically play very well, as does Gumbs. Another highlight here would be Hino original, “Why Knot.”

1991 also saw Hino's first release on Blue Note with From The Heart. We again have Byam, Hart, Gumbs and Carvin, although this time around we have Michael Formanek on bass.

This opens with “Free Mandela” which was obviously a huge topic internationally at the time. Hino also has a tune here titled “There’s Always A Time For Peace” so it looks like he’s definitely using his position in music to make a statement which you always like to see. We have another nice version of “Kimiko” here, as well as “Why Knot.” Not a bad contemporary jazz album, by any means.

Hino’s second album on Blue Note was released in 1992 and titled Unforgettable in the US. It went as Blue Smiles in Japan. Curious if since Hino was from outside the US, if Blue Note wanted to reference something familiar to US listeners with the title Unforgettable.

And after listening to this album, Blue Smiles is the absolute perfect title. I call this Sunday evening jazz, and frankly it’s been one of my favorite albums overall. Very easy going, straight forward stuff here. Supporting Hino we have the great Cedar Walton on piano, David Williams on bass with Michael Carvin on drums.

The title track, “I’ve Never Been In Love Before” and “Alfie” are my favorites here.

Next up for us is an album that I thought we had discussed during our deep dive into Masabumi Kikuchi. Sure looks like I missed it when we covered the pianist. Triple Helix was released in 1993 and features Kikuchi on piano, James Genus on bass with Masahiko Togashi on percussion.

This one is a little random and scattered at times with highlights for me being “Dr. U” and the ballad, “The Saphire Way.”

1994’s Spark is next for us and we have quite a few new faces in Tatsuya Sato on sax, Benisuke Sakai and Terumasa’s son, Kenji Hino on bass. We also have Jay Hoggard on marimba and vibes, Hiromasa Suzuki and Takeaki Sugiyama on synthesizer, Tatsuji Yokoyama, Mark DeRose and Don Alias on percussion with Moto on drums.

This one starts off superbly with a rendition of Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father.” A great take on an absolute classic. The multiple percussionists here is a nice touch. "Monday Night Village Gate" is another great, feverishly paced tune. A pretty fun album and one of the more interesting listens in the back half of the catalog.

The last album we have here for the 1990s is 1998’s Terumasa Hino Meets Manhattan Jazz Quintet – ‘Round Midnight. Joining Hino we have fellow trumpeter Lew Soloff, tenor saxophonist George Young, personal favorite and subject of a funky future post, David Matthews on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass with Victor Lewis on drums.

Mostly standards here and typically this would be easy to skim over but until the 90s, we haven’t really heard Hino play standards. “Art Blakey” is the highlight here, as well as a nice rendition of “Autumn Leaves.”

That’s a wrap for the 90s. Back soon to begin the 2000s.