Masabumi Kikuchi - Part 2

Back again with our next installment in keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi. 

First for today is a 1970 release from the Gary Peacock Trio. Peacock was an American bassist who recorded Eastward in Japan with Kikuchi on piano and Hiroshi Murakami on drums. Mostly straight ahead stuff here. "Nanshi" is a nice, soft tune with Kikuchi playing quite nicely. "Moor" has a little more of a pulse than the rest of the record, as well. Nothing here to blow you away but a nice little trio album, nonetheless.

Next up for us is our first live album. In Concert features some of the faces we saw yesterday. I won't link every player for time's sake. On sax we have Mine, on the organ we have Masahiro Kikuchi, Ikeda is on bass, Kishida is on percussion and Murakami is on drums. 

Only 2 tunes here - both in the 20-minute range. Signature tune "Dancing Mist" is here along with a tune I quite enjoy in "Yellow Carcass In The Blue." Mine plays great and the organ is a really nice sound. Murakami has an excellent drum solo near the end of the first tune. Despite "Yellow" have a slower tempo than "DM", it's still an excellent tune. Mine and Masabumi both play beautifully. 

Next we have the same trio from Eastward returning with the addition of Hozan Yamamoto on shakuhachi. I have this album listed as Ginkai, which translates to Silver World. Many releases of this one carry the Silver World title. Released in 1971, this one didn't quite grab my attention until "Sawonose" which has the most tempo of all the tunes on the album. I really dig the bamboo flute sound, this one just is a little too tame for me. 

Next up we have another live album, again titled In Concert. This time, we have tenor giant Joe Henderson, Kohsuke Mine on alto and soprano saxes, Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Yoshio Suzuki on bass, with Hiroshi Murakami and Yoshiyuki Nakamura on drums. You'll be hard pressed to find a more talented group.

3 lengthy tunes here and we start with the Henderson tune "Sunrise In Tokyo" and everyone plays wonderfully. Next up is the tune "So What" from little known trumpeter Miles Davis. The closing tune "Get Magic Again" is a little scattered but overall a nice live album.

Final album for today is the 1971 release, Poesy: The Man Who Keeps Washing His Hands. Quite the title. Trio album here with Gary Peacock on bass and Masahiko Togashi on drums and percussion. All originals from within the group on this one. 

This album is cut from the same cloth as "Get Magic Again" that we heard on the previous release. A little too much noodling for my liking but "Aspiration" is a nice tune. Not one I revisit very often but if you dig scattered sound, it might be for you. 

Enjoy!