Sadao Watanabe - 1974 - Mbali Africa

Sadao Watanabe 

1974 

Mbali Africa

101. Ita (Calling) 8:37

102. Bahari Pwani (Bahari Beach) 7:33

103. Jambo Bwana 9:32

104. Afro Talk 10:20

105. Hip Walk 8:48

106. Tanzania Yako 4:58

201. Tanu Song 3:20

202. Masai Song / Masai Steppe 11:44

203. Tanzania E / Funky Tanzanian 7:26

204. Saba Saba 5:47

205. Habari Yako 6:49

206. Mbali Africa 3:38

207. Encore: Tanzania E 7:11

Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute – Sadao Watanabe

Bass – Isao Suzuki

Drums – Motohiko Hino

Electric Bass – Akira Okazawa

Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe

Percussion – Masahiko Togashi

Percussion, Tenor Saxophone – Hideo Miyata

Piano – Takehiro Honda

Recorded live at Yubin-Chokin Hall. Tokyo, September 20,1974

A fantastic live set of spiritual soulful post-Coltrane jazz! The great reed player Sadao Watanabe is playing here with a group that includes some of the best Japanese jazz musicians of the past 30 years -- Takehiro Honda, Terumasa Hino, Motohiko Hino, and Isao Suzuki, among others. The "Africa" in the title might imply a more rootsy recording -- but the continent is represented mostly in spirit, and in the additional hard percussion that punctuates a number of tracks on the set. The real strength, though, is in the jazz playing -- which is hard and focused, with none of the indulgences that crept into some of the Japanese players' work at this time. Truly one of the greatest Sadao Watanabe albums ever -- and with 2LPs worth of excellent material!