Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet - Hairpin Circus OST (1972)

Good morning - I've been super busy and this week will be no different but I have a ton of music to share. Going to try to squeeze in as many posts as possible. I'm waiting on a few things to arrive and I'll have a couple new deep dive/spotlight posts similar to what I did for Isao Suzuki. But for now I'd like to share an album I've been listening to quite a bit lately. I have a few more to share from this artist as well - so stay tuned for a follow-up. 

Released in 1972, the Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet released an original soundtrack for the film, Hairpin Circus. Joining pianist Kikuchi, we have a stellar group of players and quite a few familiar faces. While Kikuchi covers the piano and Rhodes, his brother Masahiro is on the organ. On "Circus-No Trace" they vibe together quite well. On soprano saxophone we have our dear friend Kohsuke Mine and he shines throughout, as expected. On bass we have Yoshio Suzuki and on drums we have Motohiko Hino and Yoshiyuki Nakamura. 

This is classic early-70s fusion and at times reminds me of early electric Miles and also Herbie's Mwandishi band. One of my favorite eras of jazz, I think anyone with similar interests will love this record. "Luna Eclipse - Lamentation" and "Provincial" do the heavy lifting here but I also really dig "Pierrot's Samba." Throw this on and start your week off right.