Jun Usuba, born May 8, 1968 in Tokyo. At the age of 14, he taught himself to play the alto saxophone, and at the age of 16, he switched to the tenor saxophone. In 1996, he started his own group "Jun Usuba Jazz Roots". On February 21, 2001, his first leader album "Jazz Roots" was released from Jazz Bank\Polystar. For this album, Jun showcases all his own original compositions, whereby he actively incorporates a wide range of genres such as funk and Brazil music, etc., into his vibrant interpretation of Jazz. In many ways his music is a modern remake of the sound of the Crusaders, a popular band that dominated the jazz fusion scene in the 70's and 80's. Indeed, he is noted for being a close friend of Wilton Felder and Joe Sample. To this day, Jun Usuba continues to perform, evidence of which can be seen at his website.
Jazz Bank\Polystar, MTCJ-1006,
2001
Recorded 11th & 12th
December, 2000 at Gok Sound, Kichijoji, Tokyo
Musicians:
Jun Usuba - Tenor Sax,
Soprano Sax, Percussion
Satoshi Sano - Trombone,
Percussion
Shusei Murai - Keyboards,
Piano
Takashi Yofu - Guitar
Shinichi Sato - Bass
Shu Matsuyama - Drums,
Percussion
Guest:
Tsuya Honda - Percussion
(#7,8)
Tracks:
1. Kagu (4:19)
2. Good Looking (5:38)
3. Spring Calypso (6:07)
4. Cheers (6:37)
5. Southern Wind (5:55)
6. Song For G-Clef (5:41)
7. Joker (6:10)
8. Sunday Brunch (2:15)
9. Dear [My Friends] (4:55)
All tunes composed and arranged by Jun Usuba
Total Time: 46:41
Credits:
Producer - Jun Usuba
Executive Producer - Yoichi
Nakao
Recording & Mixing
Engineer - Atsushi Tanaka
Design & Photography -
Yumiko Takeoka
