MUSIC

SML is the quintet of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their debut album 'Small Medium Large' began as a collection of long form improvisations recorded during two separate two-night stands at beloved Highland Park, Los Angeles venue ETA. Unfortunately, this major development site for the burgeoning new West Coast jazz & improvised music sound closed its doors permanently at the end of 2023. The venue, perhaps best known outside of LA for Jeff Parker's 2022 album 'Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy', was the perfect location for the start of SML, especially given that both bassist Anna Butterss and saxophonist Josh Johnson are part of Parker's quartet that held down a regular gig at ETA since the venue's early days (and hence thoroughly documented, heard on Parker's album). 'Small Medium Large' was engineered and recorded in stereo direct to Nagra by Bryce Gonzales and compiled, arranged, and edited with additional production, recording, and studio composition by SML across their various home studios. While editing, chopping, and rearranging stereo mixed improvisations is hardly a new idea (for a modern and relevant example we can look to Makaya McCraven's output on IARC) these results are a stunning expansion of the Teo Macero / Miles Davis editing concept explored on classics like 'In a Silent Way', 'On The Corner', and 'Get Up With It'. Stylistically though, these recordings have more in common with the proto-trance repetitions of Harmonia, and with Holgar Czukay's re-assembly technique used in his work with Can. Throw in a supremely intuitive utilization of polyrhythmic floating patterns (a la Susumu Yokota), and the result is a truly innovative take on time-clocked electronic rhythms augmented with live instrumentation that never loses that elusive human sway. 'Small Medium Large' is a sublime assemblage of circulatory grooves and textural anomalies, at different moments recalling the synth-laced improvisations of Herbie Hancock's Sextant, the jagged dance punk of Essential Logic, the rhythmic revelry of Fela Kuti, the low-end elasticity of Parliament/Funkadelic, or the glitchy dub techno of Pole. Taken in totality, the album captures a euphoric creative synchronicity between some of today's most exciting musicians.

Ball of Eyes, released in 1971, is the debut album by the Belgian jazz-fusion group Placebo, led by keyboardist and composer Marc Moulin. Unlike the more well-known British alternative rock band of the same name, this Placebo carved out a distinct identity in the early 1970s European jazz scene, merging soulful grooves with rich brass arrangements and experimental textures. While many contemporary jazz acts leaned into chaotic free-form structures, Ball of Eyes opts for carefully arranged compositions that emphasize rhythm, melody, and atmosphere. Though not widely known upon its release, the album remains a landmark in Belgian jazz and a testament to Marc Moulin’s visionary fusion of jazz, funk, and soul aesthetics.

When Straight Ahead hit the shelves in 1974, it marked another bold chapter for Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. The band—Steve Ferrone on drums, Barry Dean on bass, Jack Mills on guitar, and Lennox Langton on congas—was firing on all cylinders, pushing jazz fusion into fresh, uncharted territory.

Critics took notice, with Billboard praising the album as “excellent in development and inventiveness,” and it found its way onto multiple charts at once.

The journey begins with “Beginning Again,” a lively opener built on Langton’s congas and Ferrone’s muscular groove. Auger’s electric piano sparkles here, immediately setting the album’s adventurous tone. Then comes their take on Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’ On Sunset.” Darker in mood and drenched in atmosphere, Auger stretches out into improvisation while still honoring Montgomery’s spirit. The interpretation struck such a chord that, years later, Wes’s widow wrote to Auger to tell him it was her husband’s favorite version of his much-loved tune.

The title track, “Straight Ahead,” shifts gears into funk, showcasing the group’s ability to slide effortlessly between genres. “Change” pushes further, blending rock’s raw energy with jazz’s improvisational freedom, driven by Auger’s command of the Hammond organ. To close “You’ll Stay in My Heart” brings the tempo down with a tender, soulful ballad—an intimate ending to an album full of bold explorations.

At the time, reviewers hailed the record as a gem. One called it “a minor masterpiece of incredibly engaging and melodic keyboard-centric jazz rock fusion. ” Another singled out “Bumpin’ On Sunset” as “the best reason to own this recording.”

Half a century later, Straight Ahead still resonates. It captures that fertile moment in the 1970s when jazz, rock, and funk were colliding, and artists like Auger were busy redrawing the map. To this day, it stands as proof of Auger’s fearless curiosity and his knack for breaking boundaries—music that looked forward then, and still feels ahead of its time now.

Recorded during that unique period in the late ‘60s when jazz, blues and rock musicians found common ground in London’s vibrant subterranean clubs, 1968s Definitely What! was the second of the run of the four ground-breaking Trinity albums. Showcasing Auger's open-minded approach and his masterful organ & piano skills, the album whips up a rich blend of jazz, R&B, psychedelic touches and soulful grooves, complemented by the tight, dynamic rhythm section of Dave Ambrose (bass) and Clive Thacker (drums).

After the previous year’s Open (1967) with its 'Summer of Love' feel and its melting pot of Mod R&B, cover versions of US soul hits led by Julie Driscoll’s inimitable vocals, Auger considered Definitely What! as his first solo album, and so he travelled deeper into jazz territory, balancing original pieces with audacious covers. Tracks include versions of Mose

Allison's 'If You Live' and of Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’.

“I got a letter from Wes's wife,” recalls Auger, “saying that it was Wes' favourite version. Can you believe that, Wes's wife wrote to me!

Elsewhere, we find a dramatic re-arrangement of The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life’ complete with orchestral strings and a punchy horn section, alongside a supercharged version of Booker T & The MGs’ ‘Red Beans & Rice’.'George Bruno Money' was dedicated to Auger's drinking pal of the era, Zoot Money, and 'John Browns Body' both combine prime Hammond jazz with the very British surrealist humour that was in vogue at the time. The title track goes further “out” in a sprawling instrumental piece rooted in experimentation. Brian himself specifically states in his sleeve notes that his concept “lies along a straight line drawn between pop and jazz and aims at the 'fusion' of both elements” - ‘fusion’ at that time was not even a recognised musical term, further reinforcing Auger’s credentials as an innovator.

That forward-thinking approach was developed in Open and Definitely What! would come to fruition a year later with the release of Streetnoise (1969) featuring the Trinity and Julie Driscoll. At the time, the move to bring together jazz, rhythm & blues, folk, gospel and pop into a progressive new sound may have annoyed the purists and confused the less open- minded, but these albums stand today as a testament to Auger’s unique position within British music, foreshadowing his future 1970s explorations with the Oblivion Express and beyond. Definitely What! remains a fascinating snapshot of 1960s musical experimentation - raw, eclectic, and unapologetically Auger!

This new Strut reissue is curated by Impressive Collective’s Greg Boraman in partnership with Brian and Karma Auger. The album is remastered by Cosmic Audio from the original tapes, and is packaged in Brian's favourite version of the 3 different sleeves the album was originally issued in.

The latest album from Langendorf United, the five-piece led by Swedish saxophonist Lina Langendorf, arrives via Sing a song fighter. Their previous release won the Alternative Swedish Grammy and established the group as a leading force in the new wave of European Ethio-jazz and global grooves. Once again, the music draws on Ethiopian scales and rhythms, intertwining a powerful rhythm section with Langendorf’s spiritual saxophone to conjure a sound that is both complex and intoxicatingly euphoric. Langendorf’s years spent in Ethiopia and Mali, and her encounters with local musicians there, infuse the ensemble with muscular interplay and profound spirituality. Precision and explosive energy, joy and lament coexist throughout—a commanding statement of jazz as truly “living music” in the present.

Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, played a pivotal role in the development of jazz rock in Japan. This album, “Memory Lane,” recorded in 1980, is their final release under that name. Inagaki commented on this work, saying, “We created this album while anticipating the future of fusion music.” Indeed, the sound is completely distinct from the typical fusion genre. The mellow and emotional “Memory Lane,” the stormy yet refreshing “I Will Give You Samba,” and the groovy and edgy “Take My Hand.” The sound created alongside his close friend Ken'ichi Maeda, looking toward the future, boasts an extraordinary level of perfection in every aspect—the songs, arrangements, and performances. It remains a fresh and vibrant masterpiece even when listened to today.

Text by Yūsuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

Strut presents an exclusive reissue of Experience Unlimited’s 1977 debut album, Free Yourself, featuring a brand new interview with bandleader and co-founder ‘Sugar Bear.` This seminal recording blends soul, jazz, and funk-rock, laying the foundation for Washington D.C.'s go-go scene. Experience unlimited had originally started out in 1973 when they met at Ballou Senior High School in South-East D.C. and came to the attention of Black Fire Records’ Jimmy Gray after winning a school talent competition. “Jimmy saw that we had a lot of potential and he put us into the studio,” remembers bandleader Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott. “That was our first experience recording - I remember that he just told us to be ourselves and we just gathered together and played. We were young kids then saying what we felt.” Free Yourself is a free-flowing album, full of positive messages and infectious grooves. “We could play any style,” continues Sugar Bear. “The album has a lot of different songs and feelings – from ‘Peace Gone Away’ to ‘Funky Consciousness’ which features some heavy guitar work and ‘Free Yourself’ where you can hear early stylings of go-go – it’s all in one. We just wanted to record where we were at.” Experience Unlimited would go on to score the huge hit ‘Da Butt’ in 1988 which featured in the Spike Lee movie School Days and would add their unmistakeable rolling rhythms to Grace Jones’ ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ and Kurtis Blow’s ‘Party Time’ This new reissue of Free Yourself features full original artwork including the cover painting by Malik Edwards. It is remastered by The Carvery and includes a brand new interview with bandleader and co-founder Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott alongside rare photos.

Compiled from ultra-rare dead stock pressed at a Soviet-era vinyl plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, this first-of-its-kind fully licensed album features a supreme selection of Uzbek disco, Tajik electronic folk, Uyghur guitar licks, Crimean Tatar jazz, Korean brass, and genre-defying styles from Soviet Central Asia. Drop the needle, and you're not just hearing rare Soviet dance music. You're journeying along the Silk Roads, revisiting raucous USSR disco nights, and immersing in grooves that inspired Soviet youth to envision a different future, ultimately unraveling the Iron Curtain from within. Слушать громко! __________ Ostinato Records is proud to announce Synthesizing the Silk Roads: Uzbek Disco, Tajik Folktronica, Uyghur Rock & Crimean Tatar Jazz from 1980s Soviet Central Asia, an unprecedented new anthology of revolutionary, rarely heard dance music from the former USSR. Synthesizing the Silk Roads is the soundtrack of a little-known revolution where Soviet DJs’ demand for homegrown music inadvertently reshaped world history. It spotlights Central Asian crossroads that bridged east and west, making more than a modest contribution to global culture. Drop the needle, and you’re not just hearing rare Soviet dance music. You’re journeying along the Silk Roads, revisiting raucous USSR disco nights, and immersing in grooves that inspired Soviet youth to envision a different future, ultimately unraveling the Iron Curtain from within. In the summer of 1941, as the Nazis invaded the USSR, Stalin ordered a mass evacuation. Sixteen million people were put on trains bound eastward to Soviet Central Asia, especially Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s picturesque capital. Among those onboard were gramophone engineers who later established the Tashkent Gramplastinok plant in 1945. This factory became central to Soviet record production, part of a network of plants churning out 200 million records by the 1970s. Rare dead stock of 1980s vinyl from this plant, shut down in 1991, forms the backbone of our groundbreaking 15-track compilation, complemented by live TV recordings and curated in collaboration with Uzbek label Maqom Soul. Fully licensed directly from the artists or their families and meticulously remastered, these songs – all recorded in Tashkent – unveil a diverse tapestry of sounds from Soviet Uzbekistan and its neighbors. More than a sanctuary, Tashkent was a crucible of sound. Nestled between Europe and Asia, its legacy as a key hub along the ancient Silk Roads gave it a cosmopolitan flair for centuries. As a mainstay of Soviet recording, it welcomed artists from across the Asian expanse of the USSR. Uzbek disco divos, Tajik women artists, Uyghur bands from Kazakhstan via Xinjiang in western China, Tatar musicians from the Crimean peninsula, and even a Korean orchestra found their voice in this vibrant scene. After Stalin’s death in 1953, the Soviet music scene opened up. Jazz clubs blossomed, rock venues infatuated with Deep Purple emerged, and by the late 1970s, 20,000 disco clubs sprouted across the USSR. Despite mandatory one-hour ideological lectures before DJs began their sets, these clubs, fueled by synthesizer dance music, became catalysts for new worldviews. Disco clubs were cash cows and the rise of “disco mafias” marked some of the first instances of private commerce in the Soviet Union. These underground networks capitalized on the lucrative disco club scene, trading in western clothing, vinyl records, and alcohol. This burgeoning capitalism played its own role in reshaping youth perspectives and contributing to the USSR’s eventual collapse. Tashkent’s musicians often had access to a wider array of technology than their Moscow counterparts. Thanks to Uzbekistan’s Bukharan Jewish community, leading importers of state-of-the-art music tech from the US and Japan, artists on this compilation were crafting sounds on Moog and Korg synthesizers, creating the signature sonic palette that emerged from the region. While artists like Natalia Nurumkhamedova believed Uzbekistan under the Soviet Union ushered “the heyday of art and culture,” artistic expression came at a price. Some featured artists faced KGB beatings, gulag imprisonment, or forced psychiatric treatment. Yet their resilience shines through, typified by Original Band’s disco hits recorded after their leader’s release from prison. The iron curtain of Soviet secrecy has long obscured fascinating cultural narratives. Synthesizing the Silk Roads lifts that veil at last, revealing an unexpected and still extraordinary musical revolution.

Another masterpiece from the golden age of jazz-rock by Takeshi Inomata, a master drummer who has always been breaking new ground with an eye on the times. This is a so-called instructional record produced as part of the “Method” series, but its musicality is funky and groovy, as if to provoke the listener. The band leads Sound Limited, a famous group that played a role in the development of jazz rock in Japan, and pushes the boundaries of groove with their ever-changing stick work. The band's diverse selection of songs, from covers such as “Runaway Child” and “Smack Water Jack,” to “Sleeper” and “Seven Four,” composed by Norio Maeda, a close friend who also arranges for the band, and the drum solo “Drum Concert,” which is overwhelmingly powerful, is filled with seamless grooves. The album is filled with a high-density groove. Another masterpiece from the golden age of rock. This is a so-called instructional record produced as one of the “Method” series, but the musicality of the record is so funky and groovy that it seems to provoke the listener. Leading the Sound Limited, a famous group that played a role in the development of jazz-rock in Japan, the band pushes the limits of groove with its ever-changing stick work. The band's diverse selection of songs, from covers of “Runaway Child” and “Smack Water Jack,” to arrangements of “Sleeper” and “Seven Four” by Norio Maeda, a close friend, and the overwhelmingly powerful drum solo “Drum Concert,” were filled with a seamless, high-density groove. The album is filled with a high-density groove.

A groove so deep and bewitching that one hesitates to lose oneself in it. Guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto has been sharply piercing through the heart of the times. This is the highest point of his career. His cutting-edge and versatile sound has always been at the forefront of both modern jazz and jazz-rock, and he has sharply penetrated the heart of the times. There can be no disagreement that "Babylonian Wind" captures one of the pinnacles of his musical expression. Hideo Ichikawa's rippling electric piano, Yoshio Ikeda's lush yet restrained bass, Motohiko Hino's grainy and propulsive drums, Takao Uematsu's wild and lustrous saxophone, and Sugimoto's sharp-edged guitar. Listening through "Babylonia Wind," which seems to be bobbing in the deep sea, to "Hieroglyph," which leaves a delicate and fragile aftertaste, one is struck by the diversity of expression and is struck by the glamour of the music.

"In 1971, Dr Tree emerged as a highly innovative jazz-fusion ensemble from Auckland, formed by two of New Zealand's most seasoned session musicians, Frank Gibson Jr. and Murray McNabb - the pair had jammed together since grammar school. Drawing sizable crowds while working the Auckland circuit, the band caught the attention of EMI scout, Alan Galbraith, who wasted no time signing them up for an album. Galbraith, a trained musician and adventurous producer, brought in additional support from Julian Lee, an internationally acclaimed arranger and producer (who had recently returned to New Zealand after a decade Stateside on Frank Sinatra's insistence). The album's an all-instrumental excursion into territory mapped out by the likes of Return To Forever, Weather Report and Tony Williams Lifetime - all acolytes of Miles Davis's late- 60s explorations. The session combines experimental studio techniques with blazing artistry, juxtapositioning trippy electronic textures and improvised jazz, creating a hypnotic kaleidoscope of sound." Double LP featuring previously unreleased recordings and outtakes. Restored and remastered at�Abbey Road Studios by Grammy award-winning engineer Sean Mage. Heavyweight tip-on gatefold sleeve featuring archival band photography. Restored and newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios. Limited edition of 600 copies (300 in New Zealand, remaining 300 worldwide).

Japanese jazz and rare groove masterpiece re-released on clear lime yellow colored vinyl!
A single stroke of the drum will numb your whole body. Japan's super funky drummer, Akira Ishikawa, runs through the wonderland of grooves!

Akira Ishikawa is a superb funky drummer born in Japan. He is highly regarded in many fields for his ability to travel freely through jazz, rock, and African music, fuse them together, and create his own unique musical style. His career is lined with masterpieces of jazz-rock and rare groove, but this album is especially favored for its outstanding selection of songs and poignant musicality. The album includes "Let's Start," a tight cover of Fela Kuti's Afro-funk, "Bongo Rock," a dynamic song with drum breaks, and "Pick Up The Pieces," a jazz-funk version of the Avebury White Band's classic. Pieces," a jazz-funk version of the Avebury White Band classic, and many other monster tunes that are hard to believe were recorded in 1975. Supported by such virtuosos as Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Hiromasa Suzuki, and Ken Muraoka, the album also shines.
text by Yusuke Ogawa (universounds/Deep Jazz Reality)

Jiro Inagaki was one of the central musicians in the development of jazz rock in Japan. Sensing the limitations of existing jazz music, Inagaki said, “I want to play something that has never been done before, not to mention jazz rock, with a band that has a strong rock flavor,” and in 1969 he began working in earnest in the soul media. This work, “Head Rock,” recorded in 1970, symbolizes his activities and musicality.

Jiro Inagaki was one of the central musicians in the development of jazz rock in Japan. Sensing the limitations of existing jazz music, Inagaki said, “I want to play something that has never been done before, not to mention jazz rock, with a band that has a strong rock flavor,” and in 1969 he began working in earnest in the soul media. This work, “Head Rock,” recorded in 1970, symbolizes his activities and musicality.

Nothing innocent about this record – because the groove is hard and heavy, wild and trippy – a really heady brew of funky jazz and more psychedelic influences – all recorded with some weird sounds in the background too! The album's a great one from Japanese groove pioneer Takeshi Inomata – and it's almost a fusion of earlier 60s funky band jazz with some of the more tripped-out modes of the jazz rock era. Vamping rhythms and full-on organs are undercut by wiggy guitar parts and soaring organ lines – all augmented by spoken Japanese passages, sound effects, and production styles that abstract out some instruments into very unusual modes.

Sound Limited, formed at the end of 1969, recorded three albums in quick succession in 1970, as if to reflect Takeshi Inomata's enthusiasm. The third of these was “New Rock In Europe. This album was composed mainly of songs by European musicians such as the Beatles, Donovan, and Nino Rota. The album features many highlights, such as “Something” with the shimmering guitar of Kosei Mizutani and “Barabajagal” with its tight and exciting groove, but it was a pleasure to hear “Mustache,” an original by Inomata, which is a part of the group's repertoire. This is the third recording following “Sounds Of Sound L.T.D.” and “Sensational Jazz Vol. 1/2,” and the version here is glossy and psychedelic, as if it concentrates the atmosphere of the entire album. It is a monumental work that shows that Inomata's jazz-rock has entered a new dimension. text by Yusuke Ogawa

The jazz scene in Japan around 1970 was at its most interesting. hard bop, jazz rock, and free jazz. New music and new values were born one after another, the scene was in chaos, and up-and-coming musicians were running through the scene at a speed that swept the meter. This live recording, “Sensational Jazz '70 Vol. 1/2,” is renowned as a live recording that captures the excitement and excitement of this period. The three jazz rock musketeers, Jiro Inagaki, Takeshi Inomata, and Akira Ishikawa, all stepped on stage, free jazz musicians such as Motoki Takagi and Itaru Oki finally took the stage, and musicians who support the mainstream, such as Toshiyuki Miyama and Terumasa Hino, stepped “beyond” the stage. stepped out to the “next level. The “Mustache” sound limited, which is said to be the most dangerous jazz-rock live sound source, is at the top of the list of hot performances like a cloud of smoke rising up. text by Yusuke Ogawa

Emergency! is the debut double album from US jazz great Tony Williams' fusion group The Tony Williams Lifetime, which brought John McLaughlin in on guitar and Larry Young in on organ for a session widely hailed as a landmark in the development of jazz fusion. Williams' drum work is central to the fierce rock energy which courses through the record, while elements of free jazz, modal and post-bop all spill into the mix over a thrilling 70-minute run time. Way ahead of its time in 1969 and now rightly recognised for the influence it's since wreaked, it's an essential document for anyone serious about their jazz history.

The ethereal melody fluttering in the strong groove. This is the quintessential and culmination of new hard music that pursues the possibilities of the big band sound.

Since the release of "Perspective" in 1969, New Hard, led by Toshiyuki Miyama, one of Japan's leading big band musicians, has been exploring new horizons in big band jazz with its cutting-edge sound. This work "Niou to Hato" is one of the representative works of New Hard released in 1972. Kozaburo Yamaki wrote and arranged all of the music, and deeply pursued one of his long-standing themes, "Japan. The elaborate and multi-layered arrangements and performances express Japanese customs, traditions, and scenes. The melodies are profound and dynamic, with an ethereal Japanese sentiment. The songs are full of deep flavor and great stimulation, led by the strong groove of "Seijinshiki" (Coming of Age Ceremony). This is the true essence of new hard music at its best.
text by Yusuke Ogawa (universounds/Deep Jazz Reality)

“RARE & LOST TAPES” is a collection of singles by the legendary group CORTEX never released on album. This album brings together previously unreleased and rare recordings such as "Les Oiseaux Morts" (Alternative Take 76) released only as a Test Pressing, "Mary & Jeff" (Fender Rhodes Version 77) recorded for TV, or "Californie" & "Stevie" released for the Side Project CARIBOU in 7Inch...

Colorful, powerful, and elegant.　A watershed masterpiece that encompasses the "before" and "after" of Kiyoshi Sugimoto, a master of the era. Since turning professional in 1960, Kiyoshi Sugimoto has been active in many sessions and recordings, and in the late 1960s he joined the groups of Hideo Shiraki, Akira Ishikawa, Terumasa Hino, and others, attracting much attention. Country Dream" and "Babylonian Wind". This album was recorded with Akira Ishikawa, Hiromasa Suzuki, Takao Uematsu, and others immediately after a year of study in the United States. The groovy and lustrous "Hour Time" and "Marmalade Sky," the weird keyboard-driven "Jones Street," and the melancholic and beautiful "Quiet Pulse" are just a few of the appealing tunes that fall somewhere between jazz rock and fusion. This work is representative of Sugimoto's mid-1970s period.

Giovanni Tommaso is the greatest Italian Jazz bassist and founder and member of the most important ever Italian Jazz Rock ensembles, the Perigeo band. He composed "INDEFINITIVE ATMOSPHERE" at the end of 1969, released a few months after in 1970 on Sermi label, and recorded it at Rca studios in Rome. "INDEFINITIVE ATMOSPHERE" represents a special album for him and for us as well, since it was his first album released as a sole composer/artist. The Maestro dug in personal archive for us and finally found a copy of the original master tape containing part of the recordings. Besides the misspelled title "Indefinitive" instead of "Indefinite", that became part of the legend here, this album was incredibly ahead of his time, with the young Maestro Tommaso playing electric bass and contrabass a in studio ensemble composed of 3/4 elements plus the strings section, with plenty of stunning Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Rock and Free Jazz tracks. The session is also known for including the legendary American Jazz soprano sax Steve Lacy on the track called "Steve", where he plays a sax solo. We entirely restored the full session from the original tapes found, and digitally remastered the sound for a greater sound experience, chasing the original analog source.

Finally this ghost gem left by Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media has been repressed on vinyl for the first time thanks to Cinedelic Records. ‘Woodstock Generation’ is a masterpiece of Japanese jazz/rock funk/soul that for some it even considered better then the acclaimed "Head Rock" in terms of perfection; surely there are many points in common between the two albums having been made a few months later, in 1970. Behind "The Soul Medium" name hides saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, an iconic figure of the japanese Jazz Rock scene during the late sixties to the early seventies. Jiro is supported by his legendary quintet "Soul Media" under its first incarnation featuring Ryo Kawasaki (g) Yasuo Arakawa (b) Masaru Imada (org) Sadakazu Tabata (ds) with Tetsuo Fushimi & Shunzo Ohno on trumpet in addition. "Woodstock Generation" is a tribute album to the Woodstock Festival including cover of songs performed on the stage by Sly & Family Stone (I Want To Take You Higher) The Who (Summertime Blues) or Ten Years After (Spoonful) but also Woodstock (written by Joni Mitchell in honor of the Festival) and Mamma Told Me (Not To Come) written by Randy Newman for Eric Burdon and The Animals. Titles include also variations on the "Head Rock" theme "The Ground For Peace” and original composition of Masahiko Sato "Knick Knack". All tracks arranged by Jiro Inagaki. Artwork by Eric Adrian Lee. Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone soprano saxophone Masaru Imada – organ Ryo Kawasaki – guitar Yasuo Arakawa – bass Sadakazu Tabata – drums Tetsuo Fushimi, Shunzo Ohno – trumpet

Composed by legendary library guitarist and founding member of I Gres, Silvano Chimenti, and accompanied by his orchestra, "Disco Music" is an essential release of the Usignolo catalog and probably one of the most sought after titles of the series. This album displays a broad range of styles masterfully blended together by Chimenti, going from disco-funky bangers "Happy California" and "Autostrade Americane" that lead way to the more dramatic and suspenseful vibes of "Society Problem" and "Tragedy", finishing off with the rock vibes of "Indian Summer" and the mellow atmospheres of softer, lounge-like songs such as "Lady Primavera" and "Chiara". One of the most complete and well-rounded library albums of its era, "Disco Music" is finally available on vinyl once again after a very long time.