Wewantsounds Jazz | Fusion 16 Items

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Harold Land"s 1971 Mainstream Records LP "Choma (Burn)," recorded in Los Angeles with Bobby Hutcherson and featuring Reggie Johnson on bass, Ndugu and Woody Theus on drums, Bill Henderson & Harold Land Jr. on piano/Fender Rhodes. Together the musicians create a superb spiritual mix of funky and modal Jazz that was the trademark of the Harold Land-Bobby Hutcherson quintet between 1968 and 72. Choma (Burn) is reissued here in its original gatefold artwork with all the photos scanned from first generation negatives recently found in the Mainstream Records vaults, and comes with newly remastered audio and a 2-page insert including new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Norio Maeda"s cult classic "Rock Communication Yagibushi" released in Japan in 1970. The album has since become a Japanese Jazz Funk cornerstone and is now highly sought-after on the international DJ scene. The album reinterprets 14 traditional Japanese folk songs into jaw-dropping Jazz Funk instrumentals featuring killer arrangements by Maeda that would fit perfectly between David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin. One of the most prolific Nippon arrangers, Norio Maeda on a par with Yuji Ohno and Kentaro Haneda and this album has long been on many collectors" wantlist. "Rock Communication Yagibushi" is reissued internationally for the first time, with newly remastered audio, original gatefold artwork and new liner notes by Paul Bowler.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce a special edition of the legendary 1979 Masahiko Togashi album "Song of Soil," recorded in Paris with Don Cherry and Charlie Haden and released on Japanese label Paddle Wheel. Supervised by Parisian producer Martin Meissonnier - then Don Cherry"s right hand man - "Song of Soil" reaches heights of spirituality mixing Eastern influences with jazz and deep ambient soundscapes. The album is reissued here with its original artwork and remastered by King Records in Japan. It includes the original Japanese 2-p insert plus a deluxe 8-page booklet featuring new notes (Eng/Fr) by Martin Meissonnier in conversation with Jacques Denis and also an Togashi Biography by Paul Bowler and never-seen photos by cult French photographer philippe gras who witnessed this unique session.

Combining disco pulse with Turkish/Kurdish music and the energy of Marseille"s multi-cultural hipness, Biensüre brings a cool edge to the musical landscape of the mediterranean city and the dancefloors of the world. The group"s music, inspired by the personal stories of its singer, Kurdish Hakan Toprak, speaks of impossible loves, friendship and exile and is wraped up in an unmistakable groove. The eponymous album is the group"s first release, written, composed and produced by the four musicians and it is composed of seven groove-infused tracks that will please all global music lovers.Marseille in one of the coolest cities in France: The cafés, the terraces, the clubs, the Mediterranean sea and the mountains not far, make for a perfect setting for the wildly creative rebellious youth to express their art in a world of perpetual change. This is the setting in which Biensüre was born. Biensüre"s influences are varied and transcend generations and borders. Ranging from the Anatolian pop scene of the 70s and 80s with key figures like Erkin Koray and Baris Manço to 70s Jazz, Disco and early electro, their music is at the intersection of several musical continents.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first-ever release 'Sunrise From West Sea', a mesmerising performance by Stomu Yamash'ta accompanied by Jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh (well known for his involvement in the New Herd Orchestra and his 'Belladonna of Sadness' soundtrack) and Taj Mahal Travellers founder Takehisa Kosugi on Electric Violin. The line up, also comprising Hideakira Sakurai on Electric Shamisen, is a spaced-out improvisational soundscape over the two LP sides. Remastered from the original tapes, the album is reissued here for the first time ever on LP and CDd. The LP comes in its beautiful original gatefold artwork with OBI strip, 2 page insert and a new introduction by journalist Paul Bowler. Stomu Yamash'ta has been hailed as one of the best percussionists in the world by John Cage. Born Tsutomu Yamashita in 1947 in a musical family (his father was the conductor of the Kyoto Philharmonic), he studied at Julliard and Berklee in the 60s where he honed his skills as one of the most gifted percussionists of his generation, playing both modern classical music (Cage, Morton Feldman, Toru Takemitsu...) and improv jazz. In New York, he witnessed the birth of the New Thing revolution led by John Coltrane which had a profound effect on him and decided him to go to pursue his studies at Berklee in Boston. There he met fellow Japanese musician Masahiko Satoh who was also studying there. Their friendship led to the recording of the landmark album Metempsychosis for Nippon Columbia a few years later. The album released in 1971 consisted in a "composition for percussion and jazz orchestra" that mixed Yamash'ta percussion and Satoh's piano playing with the full-on sound of Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd Orchestra in a groundbreaking free improvisation. 1971 was also the year Yamash'ta released his highly-acclaimed 'Red Buddha' solo album which was released in Europe and in the US. Inspired by the Metempsychosis experience Yamash'ta set to recreate the flowing energy of the album in a live setting with a smaller line up. Recorded live at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo on April 18, 1971, just a few days after the end of the Red Buddha recording sessions, The all-night concert was recorded in front of an invite-only audience consisting of friends and musicians. Yamash'ta enrolled Satoh on keyboards together Taj Mahal Travellers leader Takehisa Kosugi, whom he'd met through his mentor, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Hideakira Sakurai on electric shamisen was also added the lineup. ?Edited down to fit two sides of an album that will become 'Sunrise From West Sea', the performance is both hypnotic and ethereal. It starts with Kosugi's distinctive electric violin and develops into a deep, spiritual free form conversation between the four musicians, giving them all the space they need to freely improvise and interact with each other, mixing electronics, percussion, electric organ and shamizen without ever clashing. The interaction alternates between quiet, tranquil Eastern meditations and more paced parts, fuelled by Yamash'ta's extraordinary percussion playing. ?Later known for his involvement in soundtracks for Robert Altman's 1972 film Images - collaborating with John Williams - and Nic Roeg's 1976 classic 'The Man Who Fell To Earth,' and also for his foray into fusion with his group Go, Yamash'ta never reached the creativity heard in 'Sunrise From Red Sea' again. The album was recorded during one of the most fertile periods in Japan where such groups as Les Rallizes Denudes and Taj Mahal Travellers and jazz musicians like Masahiko Satoh and Yamash'ta were revolutionising the Japanese music scene. Wewantsounds is pleased to reissue this key album which had oddly never been reissued in fifty years.

Record Store Day 2021 Release.

Sought-after Live LP BY THE George Otsuka Quintet, Recorded AT THE Nemu Jazz INN AND Originally Released ON THE Cult Japanese Label Bellwood Records IN 1975, Reissued ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time AND Remastered From THE Original Tapes.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of cult LP by master Japanese drummer George Otsuka and his quintet, recorded live on 19th July 1975 at the Nemu Jazz Inn. The album was released by cutting-edge Japanese label Bellwood, which had recently made waves with Haruomi Hosono's landmark "Hosono House". The album "Loving You George" is comprised of four superb performances fuelled by Otsuka powerful drumming and Fumio Karashima's fender Rhodes. It also includes a wonderfully funky take on Minnie Riperton's 'Loving You'. It's the first time the album is reissued since the 70s and it comes with original artwork featuring OBI strip and audio remastered from the master tapes by King Records in Japan.

George Otsuka is one of the giants of the Nippon jazz scene. The drummer, who sadly passed away in 2020, enjoyed a 50 year career recording with the best musicians and labels in Japan. Born Keiji Otsuka in 1937 in Tokyo, Otsuka joined Sadao Watanabe's Cosy Quartet in the late fifties before switching to Hidehiko Matsumoto's quartet where he gained exposure as one of Japan's premier drummers. In the mid 60s, he formed his own trio with Hideo Ichikawa (p) and Masaoki Terakawa (b) recording several highly-acclaimed albums and also playing with international stars such as Hampton Hawes and Roy Haynes. The 70s were a productive decade and Otsuka embraced the latest development in jazz including fusion and modal jazz enthusiastically. Having recorded for Trio, Three Blind Mice and Nippon Columbia, the musician signed with Koki Miura's groundbreaking Bellwood Records (responsible for producing the emergent wave of folk rock artists led by Happy End and Haruomi Hosono) and recorded a live album at Nemu Jazz Inn in the Nemu resort, south of Nagoya. The evening was a special one. On top of The George Otsuka quintet (featuring Mitsuaki Furuno (b), Norio Ohno (perc), Shozo Sasaki (sax) and Fumio Karashima (p)), were the supergroup of Norman Connors, Eddie Henderson and Gary Bartz who were also recording a live album, “Dance Of Magic” that has since become legendary. On the night, Otsuka and his sidemen recorded four tracks including "Little Island" a Karashima original and "Something Everywhere" a faithful rendition of Steve Kuhn brazilian-flavoured original which had just appeared on his ECM album "Trance". Showcased on this version are Karashima's superb Fender Rhodes playing and Sasaki's inspired soprano sax. Side 2 begins with a breathtaking version of the Coltrane standard "Miles Mode" finishing with a great drum solo by Otsuka followed by a superb version of the Minnie Riperton classic, "Loving You" played in a mid-tempo funky mode with a great Rhodes solo. A unique time capsule, the album finds the quintet on fire and "Loving You George" is a vivid testimony that Otsuka and his musicians were at the top of their game and one of the best groups in Japan, playing a mix of modal and groovy tunes full of exciting and inspired solos. An album known to the Japanese music lovers that Wewantsounds is happy to reissue for the first time in decades with original artwork, OBI strip and audio remastered from the original tapes by King Records in Japan.

2022 repress. Following the success of Wewantsounds' Alice Clark RSD edition featuring an extra 20-page booklet, the label reissues the standard version of Alice Clark's highly sought-after soul jazz classic produced by Mainstream Records' Bob Shad in 1972. Featuring original artwork, remastered sound making this reissue is the first official reissue of Alice Clark's original album for decades, a long overdue release of one of the best Soul albums ever recorded. When it comes to legendary albums, very few can match the cult status achieved on the international jazz and funk scene, by Alice Clark's eponymous album, recorded for Mainstream Records in 1972. The record which went unnoticed when it first came out has become one of the most sought-after albums ever since it became cult on the London jazz and funk scene in the late '80s. It is now being acknowledged as one of the best soul albums of all-times. Recorded live over two days at the Record Plant studios in New York City, the album was produced by Bob Shad and arranged by jazz veteran Ernie Wilkins with a big band setting. The music is a superb mix of jazz and soul blessed by Clark's superb singing and including two all-time favorites, "Don't You Care" and "Never Did I Stop Loving You" plus a selection of heart-wrenching songs beautifully sung by Clark. Hailed as a soul masterpiece alongside Aretha Franklin or Roberta Flack's best albums, Alice Clark's LP took almost fifty years to achieve classic status and Alice Clark is now finally getting the recognition she deserves.

2022 restock; LP version. Wewantsounds reissue of Billy Brooks's much sought-after album Windows of the Mind, released in 1974 on Ray Charles's Crossover Records. The album was co-produced by Charles and features such heavy players as Herman Riley, Calvin Keys, and Larry Gales. There's not a huge amount of information to be found about trumpet player Billy Brooks. A solid session musician who'd been around since the '50s, he played with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Cal Tjader, and of course Ray Charles, who signed him to his sub label Crossover Records in the early '70s to release Windows of the Mind. Interestingly, Brooks also appears on Bea Benjamin's 1976 cult classic African Songbird produced by Dollard Brand. Windows of the Mind released in 1974 remains Brooks' only solo album. Windows of the Mind was recorded in Los Angeles and co-produced by Ray Charles. It is a skillful, brass-led mix of jazz and funk performed by such cult players as bassist Larry Gales (Thelonious Monk), drummer Clarence Johnston (Freddie Roach, James Moody), saxophonist Herman Riley (Side Effect, Pleasure, Earth Wind & Fire, Letta Mbulu), guitarists Jef Lee (Roy Ayers, Sylvia Striplin) and cult player Calvin Keys of Black Jazz Records fame. From the groove of "Rockin Julius", "Shetter Cheeze", and "Black Flag" to the mid-tempo jazz mood of "Cooling It" and "C.P. Time" and the cinematic brass pyrotechnics of "The Speech Maker", "Windows of the Mind" is a superb funked-up big band jazz album. Windows of the Mind did reasonably well among the jazz circles when it came out but its fate would change fifteen years later when, in 1990, A Tribe Called Quest heavily sampled its closing track "Fourty Days" for their own "Luck of Lucien" featured on the group's debut album People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990). The album revolutionized hip-hop and "Luck of Lucien" became one of the album's highlights, thus cementing the reputation of Billy Brooks original LP among DJs and collectors. Original LPs now change hands for a few hundred dollars. Wewantsounds now make this landmark album available again in partnership with The Ray Charles Foundation. Newly remastered audio; comes with original artwork.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first international reissue of Ayako Shinozaki"s hard to find LP "Music Now For Harp" released in 1974 by Nippon Columbia. The LP was released on the label"s cult "Master Sonic" series and features Shinozaki"s harp soundscape on works by renowned composer Toru Takemitsu and Katsuhiro Tsubono. The highlight of the album is the spaced-out, ethereal 25-min ambient epic "Heterodyne" featuring cult musician Takehisa Kosugi (Taj Mahal Travellers, Group Ongaku) on electric violin and sound waves. The album has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia and is reissued here with its original artwork designed by legendary Japanese graphic designer Kohei Sugiura. It includes a 2 page insert with new liner notes by Alan Cummings.

Don Cherry"s downtown Paris funk masterwork produced in 1985 by Ramuntcho Matta and originally released by Barclay in France only, finally gets a worldwide release on Wewantsounds. Featuring French post-punk muse Elli Medeiros, avant garde poet Brion Gysin and cult Senegalese drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (Xalam), this is a unique soundbite of Paris in the early 80s at its coolest when funk, jazz and new wave were mingling with sounds from Africa, Jamaica and Latin America. Newly Remastered, the album is augmented by a second LP worth of bonus tracks and a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a new essay by French journalist Jacques Denis (Liberation).