JAZZ ROCK 琴／日本の民謡 (2020年リイシューLP盤)
「黒田節」ですか。。。村田英雄の顔面がダーン！と脳裏に出てくるよな（個人差あり。若人よスマヌ）…という間もなく「花笠踊り」のモダンなジャズアレンジにノり、おやおや？としているうちに、ヤーレンソーランの「そうらん節」やら「佐渡おけさ」、「五ッ木の子守唄」なんかが、またまたモダンな感じに仕立て上げられ、すこぶる和製ハイブリッド!!! 日本の現代邦楽の開拓者で、箏曲家の沢井忠夫＆沢井一恵、尺八奏者の山本邦山、ジャズ界からピアニスト前田憲男（編曲も担当）、ドラマー猪俣猛、ギタリスト中牟礼貞則、ベーシスト滝本達郎など一流メンバーを招集し日本民謡をジャズ・ロック？で染め上げ、1973年にRCAからリリースされた世界注目のジパング・サウンドが、な、な、なんと英MR BONGOからアナログLPリイシュー!!! 今後も海外からゾクゾク注目が集まりそうな、和モダン再評価の2020年度メモリアル・アイテム！ They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and going by 'Jazz Rock’, nor a record by its title. Though entering into jazz territory and featuring some distorted guitar, 'Jazz Rock' is more a beautiful marriage of funky breakbeat drumming and spiritual jazz instrumentation, combined with traditional Min'yō music performed on the koto and shakuhachi. Originally released in 1973, the record sounds simultaneously vintage and contemporary. It is akin to something Madlib might dream up whilst lost in Japan collaborating with Min'yō players at a recording session. The record features some amazing shakuhachi (bamboo flute) playing by Hozan Yamamoto, which gives the music a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere. You can almost visualise the long grass blowing in the wind, and hear the bamboo rustling in the distance on a long hot summer’s day. Takeshi Inomata, Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai anchor the session. Takeshi’s exceptionally funky-drum work will almost certainly get some producers dusting off and firing up their MPC's. Whilst Kazue and Tadao work their magic on the koto (a traditional string instrument). Though certainly not an ambient record, 'Jazz-Rock' has the same meditative, other-worldly quality that invites you to sit back, listen and be transported somewhere else. Unfortunately, until now the 'Jazz Rock' album is a scarcity that commanded a high price-tag only for the most hardened of record collectors. So it is pleasure to make it accessible to all, and we hope you dig this lost, obscure future-classic as much as we do. （MR BONGO） Side A 1. 黒田節 2. 花笠踊り 3. そうらん節 4. さんさ時雨 5. ひえつき節 6. 佐渡おけさ Side B 1. 五ッ木の子守唄 2. 北海盆唄 3. 木曽節 4. 貝殻節 5. 磯節 6. 南部牛追唄 Format：LP Label：MR BONGO (UK)
