Showing posts with label Shingo Okudaira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shingo Okudaira. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2026

Fumio Karashima Quintet - Avanti (1988)

Here we have one of Fumio Karashima’s earlier albums, where he assembles a dynamic quintet that features a powerful two-saxophone lineup and arranged entirely by the group. All selections on the album were composed by the leader and Japanese pianist Fumio Karashima, with the exception of the classic jazz standard 'Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk. The other players include saxophonists Toshihiko Inoue and Masahiro Fujioka, bassist Ikuo Sakurai and drummer Shingo Okudaira. Essentially it is a highly polished album meticulously recorded [DR15] with all tracks played exceptionally well. Recommended! 

Polydor Records, H33P-20287, 1988
Recorded in September 1988 at Studio Key-Stone, Tokyo, Japan 

Musicians:
Fumio Karashima - Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes]
Toshihiko Inoue - Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax
Masahiro Fujioka - Soprano Sax, Alto Sax
Ikuo Sakurai - Double Bass
Shingo Okudaira - Drums

Tracks:
1. Avanti {Fumio Karashima} (5:54)
2. Greeting {Fumio Karashima} (7:48)
3. Quiet Moment {Fumio Karashima} (7:21)
4. One For Him {Fumio Karashima} (11:31)
5. Ivory Coast {Fumio Karashima} (6:20)
6. 'Round Midnight {Thelonious Monk} (5:20)
7. I Wish You Were Near {Fumio Karashima} (4:45) 

Total Time: 49:01 

Credits:
Producer - Fumio Karashima, Masa Marumo
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Teruaki Kitagawa
Assistant Engineer - Masatsuna Chubachi
Technician [Piano Tuner] - Mikio Watanabe
Management - Jiro Shinagawa
Design - Akihiro Yasuda

LINK

Avanti [Live]

Monday, March 3, 2025

Tim Armacost - Fire (1995)

Let's face it, most great young players in jazz don't have careers like Charlie Parker or Joshua Redman - they don't rise right to the top. Rather, these artists make their way gradually to being the musicians everybody talks about. Tim Armacost has that kind of potential, too. He's definitely got the goods: a warm, regal tone, a commanding technique that unleashes clean, round notes at any tempo, an imagination that concocts melodic yet steamy improvisation, a sense of emotional maturity that communicates real feeling and a rhythmic whammy that makes everything swing. And he can write. Influenced by the best - Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Ornette Coleman, Parker, Clifford Brown and others - Armacost has racked up some solid credits in his decade-plus as a working pro. Fire is sure to spread the good news about this superb saxophonist. ~ Extract by Zan Stewart, Liner Notes. 

Concord Jazz, CCD-4697, 1996
Recorded 20th-21st November, 1995 at Sound-On-Sound, New York 

Musicians:
Tim Armacost - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Kenny Barron - Piano
Gerald Cannon - Bass
Billy Hart - Drums (#1-5)
Shingo Okudaira - Drums (#5-10) 

Tracks:
01. Norwegian Wood {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (7:38)
02. The Old Familiar Faces {Tim Armacost} (5:43)
03. Long Haired Girl {Tim Armacost} (5:14)
04. Pennies From Heaven {Johnny Burke, Arthur Johnson} (7:25)
05. The Tabla Master {Tim Armacost} (6:21)
06. Macondé {Shingo Okudaira} (6:53)
07. There's A Lull In My Life {Mack Gordon, Harry Revel} (6:40)
08. Voyage {Kenny Barron} (6:42)
09. Imprint {Tim Armacost} (7:05)
10. Bailey's Blues {Tim Armacost} (7:50) 

Total Time: 67:34 

Credits:
Producer - Allen Farnham
Production Manager - Kathleen Vance
Executive-Producer - John Burk
Engineer - Alan Varner
Engineer [Assistant] - Devin Emke, Tsumoru ("T.K.") Kume
Mixing Engineer - Phil Edwards
Mastering Engineer - George Horn
Photography - Teri Bloom
Art Direction - Kent Judkins 

Long Haired Girl