Isao Suzuki Part 5

Good afternoon. Back again today to continue our look at Isao Suzuki's catalog. We're nearing the end of what I have - so I'm going to try to wrap up over the next couple of days. 

First for today we have a nice little album, albeit with limited information, in 1979's PCM vs Direct: Summertime. The reason for the title is due to one side being mastered by PCM and the other by Direct Cutting. This one was released as the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio with Isao Suzuki. While I'm not 100% certain, I believe Shinji Mori is handling the drums here, with Yamamoto on piano and Isao on bass. Either way, 3 nice renditions of some standards here with the highlight being the title track, Summertime, from the legend George Gershwin. 

Next up we have another release from 1979, duo album A Day Of The Sun with Masahiko Togashi. Both artists employ a variety of instruments on this experimental/free jazz album. Isao on his usual double bass, piccolo bass, cello, Solina synthesizer along with a variety of percussion instruments. Much of the same from Togashi, with his focus on drums, percussion and also synthesizer. I didn't make this page to be negative so I'll just say this one doesn't really do it for me. I've listened to it quite a few times but it's just a little to much meandering going on for me. Honorable mention for "Lonely Blue." Maybe someone here will feel differently. 

The final release I have from the 1970s is The Thing, released in 1979 as Isao Suzuki & New Family. Supporting Isao here we have Masayoshi Yoneda on keys, Takayuki Kato on guitar, Shuji Miyake on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Shigeo Hirayama on drums. Really nice album here with my favorites being "For Miles" with it's nice muted trumpet and "Sunburn Samba" with it's great piano and trumpet play. No real misses here, however. Enjoyable through and through. 

Also in 1980 and under the New Family name, we have Mongolian Chant featuring the great trombonist, Shigeharu Mukai and saxophonist, Toshiyuki Honda. Again we have Kato on guitar, Miyake on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Hirayama on drums. Also along for the ride are Ichiro Doi on keys and Motohiko Hamase on bass. Isao is here with his usual double bass, piccolo bass and also on Hammond organ. This isn't my favorite album but I do enjoy the opening, title track, along with "Joy."

The final album from the New Family is 1980's Bamboo Dance. A touch more accessible than the last few albums we've looked at, the same personnel is here as was on Mongolian Chant; sans Mukai and Honda. Looks like after the fantastic opening, title track, we have a few covers. Two of which I really enjoy in Legrand's standard "What Are You Doing With The Rest Of Your Life" and the Victor Young standard, "Stella By Starlight." I also thoroughly enjoy "Beat It Up."

Enjoy!!