Jiro Inagaki - 1970 - Head Rock

Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media

1970

Head Rock

01. The Vamp (5:23)

02. Twenty One (5:33)

03. Spoonful (9:18)

04. Back to Rack (3:31)

05. High Jack (4:16)

06. The Ground for Peace (7:43)

07. Head Rock (4:21)

Jiro Inagaki - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet

Masaru Imada - organ

Yasuo Arakawa - bass

Ryo Kawasaki - guitar

Sadakatsu Tabata - drums

If you're at all familiar with the Japanese jazz scene of 1970, then Head Rock will come as no surprise. Albums like this were seemingly extinct at one point, until recent times have spotlighted the scene. Not that dissimilar from the film library albums coming out of Italy, Head Rock mixes jazzy instrumentation with psychedelic rock guitar and rhythms. The melodies are relatively safe, and this is no mindblower on the same scale as some of the Japanese albums from this era (British Rock Live in Japan, Genshi Kyodotai, etc...). But for grooving headphone bobbing moments, it's a pleasant ride.

A definite head rocker here – a brilliant bit of funky jazz from Japan, and a record that beautifully balances acoustic and electric elements! Jiro Inagaki plays some heavy tenor and soprano sax on the record – working with a combo that includes electric guitar, electric bass, and organ – plus a trumpet joining Jiro in the frontline! The rhythms are tight, hard, and very funky at times – drenched in soul, but also filtered through a bit of a psychedelic influence, as you might guess from the cover on the record – and Jiro's choppy tenor and soprano come off with some of the same sharp notes and changes you might expect from the best European funky fusion of the time.

Ultimate & most wanted japanese rare groove recorded by the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, one of the main actor of the Japanese Jazz Rock & Progressive scene. In 1963, Jiro Inagaki was recruited by Helen Merrill for her first album recorded in Japan, "In Tokyo" with the Takeshi Inomata's West Liners group, and later formed various jazz band as the All-Stars, The (Black) Rhythm Machine or, of course, The Soul Media. Recorded in 1969 and released under the famous Takt Jazz Series from Nippon Columbia, Head Rock includes psychedelic guitar effects, great drum breaks, acid & electronic organ sounds, performed by The Soul Media, featuring some future japanese jazz great names, such as Ryo Kawasaki (in his first professional appearance), Yasuo Arakawa, Masaru Imada or Tetsuo Fushimi. Titles includes cover & original songs from Hal Galper (The Vamp), and Willie Dixon (an amazing version of Spoonful), five composed by Ryo Kawasaki (Twenty One), Masaru Imada (High Jack), Yasuo Arakawa (The Ground For Peace) and Jiro (Head Rock). All tracks arranged by Jiro Inagaki.