★Craftman Records
Diggin'
"The master of multiphonics (playing more than one note at a time on a horn), Albert Mangelsdorff has been a giant of the European avant-garde for the past 30 years. He originally studied violin and worked as a jazz guitarist before taking up the trombone in 1948. Here he is taped live at a concert in Tokyo with what was then his regular quartet: Heinz Sauer on sax, Günter Lenz on bass, and Ralf Hübner on drums. There's a very nice blend between the leader's agile but smooth horn and the somewha…
Ode To Birds
"Hideto Kanai's first album is fairly hit-or-miss free jazz, but here he's in full-blown Black Saint and the Sinner Lady mode. There are twenty three musicians on this album (twenty three!), and while the undercurrent of free jazz is still running through, it's much closer to experimental big band or avant-garde jazz. And it's extremely compelling. Two side-long pieces, both of which go in and out of being quite elaborate and being complete chaos. There's some unusual and dissonant guitar and sy…
Yokohama Concert
Stunning duo comprised of two of the most important musicians of the Japanese underground/avant-garde, Otomo Yoshihide in a duo with the great Japanese drummer, Hiroshi Yamazaki – who has Kaoru Abe among his extensive list of past collaborators, and was also a member of Masayuki Takayanagi’s pioneering New Directions group. This album is dedicated to Masayuki Takayanagi.Otomo Yoshihide moves between free jazz, noise, improvisation, composition and the unclassifiable with a generosity that opens …
Air
Reissue of the Japanese group Air featuring percussionist Yuji Imamura. Seems like half split between moderate Jazz Rock with monster improvised parts and outlandish Avant Jazz with strong percussion minimalism and tribal rhythms, the instrumental arsenal is huge and promising (various strings, winds, keyboards, electronic equipements). Two side long instrumental tracks, the material is mostly based on individual soloing depending on each musician.
Live In Europe 2016
Stunning duo comprised of two of the most important musicians of the Japanese underground/avant-garde, Otomo Yoshihide in a duo with the great Japanese drummer, Hiroshi Yamazaki – who has Kaoru Abe among his extensive list of past collaborators, and was also a member of Masayuki Takayanagi’s pioneering New Directions group. This album is dedicated to Masayuki Takayanagi.Otomo Yoshihide moves between free jazz, noise, improvisation, composition and the unclassifiable with a generosity that opens …
Tomorrow
** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Tomorrow by Hideo Ichikawa Trio. Recorded July 27 & August 17, 1976 at Epicurus Studio, Tokyo. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass, Cello, Percussion [Kokiriko], Shaker – Isoo Fukui, Drums, Cowbell, Agogô [Au-go-go], Bells – Hideo Yamaki, Engineer [Recording] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano [Yamaha], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Recorder, Bells [Wind-bell], Tambourine, Quena, Wood Block [Wood Brocks], Maracas, Composed By – Hideo Ichikawa, Pro…
Samba De Sun
** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Samba De Sun by "Sleepy" Matsumoto Quartet. Recorded on March, 18 & 19, 1979. Bass – Takashi Mizuhashi, Drums – Hideo Sekine, Piano – Hideo Ichikawa, Tenor Saxophone – Sleepy Matsumoto.
Back to the Sea
** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Back to the Sea by Bingo Miki and Inner Galaxy Orchestra. Recorded at Epicurus studio, Tokyo, Japan on June 20, 27, 28 & 29 1978. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Masatsugu Matsumoto, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Kenji Mori, Bass Guitar – Yukinori Narishige, Bass Trombone – Sumio Okada, Bassoon – Josuke Ohata, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Masao Suzuki, Composed By, Liner Notes – Bingo Miki, Double Bass – Mit…
Sei Shonagon
** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Sei Shonagon by Jimmy, Yoko & Shin. Produced For Three Blind Mice Records, Inc. Recorded June 22, 23, 1978 at AOI Studio Tokyo. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass, Vocals – Jimmy Shironaga, Drums, Congas, Bongos, Wood Block, Electronic Drums [Moog Drum], Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Percussion, Vocals – Shin Okabe, Liner Notes – いソノてルヲ, Piano [Steinway], Electric Piano [Yamaha CP-30], Organ [Yamaha YC-30 Combo], Synthesizer [Yamaha CS-60 Combo, Mino…
Q
Craftman Records presents Q by Hideto Kanai. Recorded at Aoi Studio, Tokyo on May 9 & 17, 1971. Artwork – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Hideto Kanai, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Engineer [Assistant] – Kenji Kurota, Mastered By – Tohru Kotetsu, Producer – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Producer [Associate] – Kazumitsu Saga, Yoshiaki Uozu.
Lover Man
** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Lover Man by Yoshio Otomo and Hidefumi Toki Alto-Madness. Recorded May 26, 1975. Alto Saxophone – Hidefumi Toki, Yoshio Otomo, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Nobuyoshi Ino, Drums – Steve Jackson, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe, Producer – Takeshi Fujii.
Greensleeves
** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents Greensleeves by Shoji Yokouchi Trio Plus Yuri Tashiro. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Kunimitsu Inaba, Drums – Hajime Ishimatsu, Electric Guitar – Shoji Yokouchi, Engineer [Cutting Engineer] – Mitsuharu Kobayashi, Guitar [Folk Guitar] – Shoji Yokouchi, Guitar [Gut Guitar] – Shoji Yokouchi, Liner Notes – 岩浪洋三, Organ [Hammond] – Yuri Tashiro, Producer – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Recorded By – Yoshihiko Kannari.
One For Duke
** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents One For Duke by Masaru Imada Trio. Recorded May 27, 1975. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Isoo Fukui, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano – Masaru Imada, Producer – Takeshi Fujii.
Maya
** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents Maya by Shunzo Ohno Quintet. Recorded July 22 and 23, 1991. Alto Saxophone – Steve Wilson, Bass – James Genus, Drums – Billy Drummond, Engineer – Michael McDonald, Flugelhorn – Shunzo Ohno, Mastered By – Yoshio Kobayashi, Piano – Renee Rosnes, Producer, Liner Notes, Photography By – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Tabla – Ray Spiegel, Trumpet – Shunzo Ohno.
Fine And Mellow
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Fine and Mellow by Shigeko Toya. Recorded May 17, 18, and 24, 1973. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Masayuki Takayanagi, Alto Saxophone – Akitoshi Igarashi, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Takashi Mizuhashi, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano – Masaru Imada, Producer – Takeshi Fujii, Vocals, Piano – Shigeko Toya.
2nd Album
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents 2nd Album by Kosuke Mine Quintet. Recorded November 29 and December 2, 1970. Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Kosuke Mine, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Yoshio Suzuki, Drums – Hiroshi Murakami, Engineer [Assistant] – Kenji Kurota, Engineer [Recording] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Guitar – Yoshiaki Masuo, Liner Notes – Shoichi Yui, Producer – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Producer [Associate] – Kazumitsu Saga, Trombone – Takashi Imai.
Concierto de Aranjuez
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Concierto de Aranjuez by Hideto Kanai Quintet. Recorded November 2, 1978. Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Mikinori Fujiwara, Bass – Hideto Kanai, Drums – Michael Reznikoff, Piano – Yoshito Osawa, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Toshihiko Inoue.
All Right!
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents All Right! by Isao Suzuki Quartet. Recorded November 18 and 19, 1974. Bass – Osamu Kawakami, Drums – Shinji Mori, Electric Bass – Akira Okazawa, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe, Electric Piano, Cello, Bass, Organ [Hammond], Drums, Vocals, Vibraphone [Vibraharp] – Isao Suzuki.
Shuko Mizuno's "Jazz Orchestra '73"
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Shuko Mizuno's "Jazz Orchestra '73". Recorded August 23, 1973 (Part 1), and September 2, 1973 (Part 2). Alto Saxophone – Isao Kimura, Kazumi Oguro, Baritone Saxophone – Shigeru Hirano, Drums – Isao Yomoda, Electric Bass – Masaaki Ito, Tenor Saxophone – Mamoru Mori, Seiji Inoue, Trombone – Masamichi Uetaka, Takahide Uchida, Takashi Hayakawa, Teruhiko Kataoka, Trumpet – Kazumi Takeda, Shuji Atsuta, Shin Kazuhara, Yoshikazu Kishi.
Touch
** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Touch by Isao Suzuki & His Fellows. Recorded November 20 and 26, 1975. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Isao Suzuki, Congas – Yoichi Ogawa, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe, Masayuki Ise, Liner Notes – いソノてルヲ, Piano – Kunihiko Sugano, Producer – Isao Suzuki, Takeshi Fujii.