Terumasa Hino - 1970s - Part 5

Hey there. Back today with our next 5 from Terumasa Hino.

First up for today is the 1975 release, Speak To Loneliness. Back with a quintet made up of Miyata on tenor and soprano saxes, Itabashi on keys, Okada on bass with Moto on drums. Additional support is here with Sugimoto on tracks 1 & 3, Mukai is present for tracks 2 & 3, tenor saxophonist Suetoshi Shimizu is here on tracks 2 & 3, percussionist Guilherme Franco is on track 2 with Imamura on 3.

Same blueprint here in 3 long tunes. This time around we open with the title track, followed by “Little Lovers” and “Hi-Nology.”

The title track starts off a little softly here but develops quite nicely with Miyata shining on soprano. "Little Lovers" is a nice ballad with some softer than usual playing from Sugimoto. An excellent rendition of "Hi-Nology" closes this one out with more great playing from Sugimoto and Hino.

                                  

Into 1976 we go with Hogiuta. Recorded in NYC, this one looks to be a quartet made up of Hino on trumpet and flugelhorn, Cecil McBee on bass, James M’tume on percussion with Moto on drums.

This one has a touch of aimlessness but starting with the third tune, "Yuhwa", it begins to pick up. The two following tunes are also quite nice in the title track and "Yuhkyu." The drums are relatively soft here with the percussionist adding some nice support. I would almost describe some of these tunes as spiritual jazz, or at least adjacent to that. Pretty solid release.

Now Hear This with Hal Galper was released the following year in 1977 with Hino technically a sideman. Again recorded in NYC, joining Hino on trumpet and Galper on piano, we again have McBee on bass with legend Tony Williams on drums.

All originals from Galper here with the exception of “Bemsha Swing” from Monk. This one starts off very well with the title track. Galper and Williams both set the tone, in my opinion.

After a soft tune in “Shadow Waltz” we finish very strong with “Mr. Fixit”, “First Song In The New Day”, “Bemsha Swing” and my favorite, “Red Eye Special.” Great album through and through.

Also in 1977, Hino released May Dance with a fantastic line-up of John Scofield on guitar, Ron Carter on bass with Williams again on drums.

Scofield plays wonderfully on the nicely paced opening tune, "Wind Blows Your Skin." The soft and quiet pleasant "The Wild Lady" follows, again with great pace and Hino shining. Things pick up with "Big Celebration" and my favorite tune of the album in "Free Land" follows. Scofield has a riff setting this one up. After two more strong tunes in "Moss On The Rock" and "Lovin' May," we have another great album in the books.

Next we're going to squeeze in another 1977 album from the Ken McIntyre Sextet titled Introducing the Vibrations. Featuring Hino as a sideman, McIntyre brings a variety of instruments along with an alto sax, flute, bass clarinet, oboe and bassoon. Richie Harper is on piano, Alonzo Gardner is on bass, Andy Vega is on percussion with Andrei Strobert on drums.

A nice little album here coming in right at 40 minutes. "Clear Eyes" is the highlight here for me with great playing between McIntyre on oboe and Hino on trumpet. "Now Is The Time" is another nice tune. Nice stuff from McIntyre.

That's a wrap for our next 5 from Hino. We'll be back soon.