Hidefumi Toki - In A Sentimental Mood (1992)

In A Sentimental Mood is a jazz album by Japanese saxophonist Hidefumi Toki, released in 1992 on the Japanese Fun House label. The album features Toki's interpretation of the title track, a famous jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, alongside several other classic jazz ballads. For this session Hidefumi joins with pianists Hiromasa Suzuki and Soichi Noriki, bassist Ikuo Sakurai and drummer Motohiko Hino. The album consists of eight tracks, six jazz standards and two of Toki's own compositions. This album is a powerful production where he takes the selected jazz ballads head-on. There is a mellowness to this work that comes with its age, but the sound is invariably very fresh. Essentially, it is an album well worth listening to over time. Enjoy! 

Fun House, FHCF-2018, 1992
Recorded 1st & 9th June, 1992 at Onkio Haus 1st, Tokyo, Japan 

Musicians:
Hidefumi Toki - Alto Sax, Soprano Sax
Hiromasa Suzuki - Piano (#1,3,5,8)
Soichi Noriki - Piano (#2,4,6,7)
Ikuo Sakurai - Bass
Motohiko Hino - Drums 

Tracks:
1. In A Sentimental Mood {Duke Ellington} (8:47)
2. How Insensitive {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (7:19)
3. You Are Too Beautiful {Richard Rodgers} (6:10)
4. My Foolish Heart {Victor Young} (8:54)
5. Wyeth {Hidefumi Toki} (5:38)
6. Blues For Toko & Toko {Hidefumi Toki} (6:10)
7. Who Cares? {George & Ira Gershwin} (5:09)
8. Smoke Get In Your Eyes {Jerome Kern} (4:41) 

Total Time: 52:52 

Credits:
Producer - Tetsu Kobayashi
Engineer - Yasuo Morimoto
Assistant Engineer - Seiichi Yoritomi, Kouichi Nakamura
Art Direction & Design - Shigeru Yamaguchi
Graphic Coordinator - Kazuyuki Hikita
Photography - Hisashi Itoh
Liner Notes - Takao Ogawa

LINK

Who Cares?

Hidefumi Toki - The Good Life (1994)

The Good Life is a jazz album by Japanese saxophonist Hidefumi Toki, released on 2 March 1994 under the Japanese Fun House label. Essentially, it is a ballad-style album that incorporates three of Toki’s own compositions along with five other well-known jazz standards. For this album Hidefumi assembles a tight quartet that includes pianist Manabu Ohishi, bassist Benisuke Sakai and legendary drummer Motohiko Hino. Playing both alto and soprano saxes Hidefumi delivers a polished array of tunes with great acumen, supported skillfully by his fellow musicians. Overall, it's an album that warrants additional appraisals. Enjoy! 

Fun House, FHCF-2150, 1994
Recorded 21st-22nd November, 1993 at Crecente Studio, Tokyo, Japan 

Musicians:
Hidefumi Toki - Alto Sax, Soprano Sax
Manabu Ohishi - Piano
Benisuke Sakai - Bass
Motohiko Hino - Drums 

Tracks:
1. The Good Life {Sacha Distel, Jack Reardon} (6:40)
2. My Funny Valentine {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (7:52)
3. Chaka {Hidefumi Toki} (6:48)
4. After Dark {Hidefumi Toki} (8:27)
5. My One And Only Love {Robert Mellin, Guy Wood} (10:08)
6. Old Friend And Dry Martini {Hidefumi Toki} (8:58)
7. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning {Bob Hilliard, David Mann} (6:01)
8. Body And Soul {Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour} (3:19) 

Total Time: 58:17 

Credits:
Producer - Tetsu Kobayashi
Engineer - Yasuo Morimoto
Engineer [Assistant] - Masatatsu Tsubuki
Mastering Engineer - Setsu Hisai
Art Direction, Design - Shigeru Yamaguchi
Graphic Coordinator - Kazuyuki Hikita

LINK

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Hidefumi Toki Quartet - Toki (1975) [vinyl]

Deeply personal work from Japanese saxophonist Hidefumi Toki - a player who manages accomplish a great deal in a fairly stripped-down setting - filling spare space with gentle notes on alto and soprano sax, often delivered with a nicely raspy tone! The group here is a quartet - with Kazumi Watanabe on guitar, Nobuyoshi Ino on bass, and Steve Jackson on drums - and the setting is laidback and mellow, often moving at a pace that's slow, but always flowing with a great gentle swing. Tracks are long, and titles include the great originals "Darkness", "Lullaby For The Girl" and "Old Song Blues" - plus nice takes "When Sunny Gets Blue" and Ornette Coleman's "Blues".  © Dusty Groove, Inc. 

Three Blind Mice, TBM-46, 1975
Recorded 17th May, 1975 at AOI Studio, Tokyo, Japan 

Musicians:
Hidefumi Toki - Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Kazumi Watanabe - Guitar
Nobuyoshi Ino - Bass
Steve Jackson - Drums 

Tracks:
A1. Lullaby For The Girl {Hidefumi Toki} (11:09)
A2. Darkness {Hidefumi Toki} (10:03)
B1. Blues {Ornette Coleman} (8:17)
B2. When Sunny Gets Blue {Jack Segal, Marvin Fisher} (5:58)
B3. Old Song Blues {Hidefumi Toki} (5:40) 

Total Time: 41:07 

Credits:
Producer - Takeshi Fujii
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Yoshihiko Kannari
Recording Engineer [Assistant] - Masayoshi Ohkawa
Engineer [Cutting] - Makoto Nakamura
Art Direction - Ben Nishizawa
Liner Notes - Takeo Fujii 

Wonderful Record! Hidefumi Toki is a pure genius. His saxophone sound is so deep and intense, in the vein of Coltrane. Tremendous spiritual jazz reminding me sometimes the Joki Freund's Yogi Jazz. The rest of the lineup is killer. Gorgeous... ~ kestudy, discogs.com.