Be Hard Bop - The Psychedelic Soul Vol. 2

More Psychedelic ! More GS ! More Rock 'N' Roll !

A compilation of twenty two tracks from Japanese Pop to Jazz & Rhythm 'N' Blues, performed by Nippon Girls, GS Boys & Jazz musicians, released between 1967 & 1972, featuring Jackey Yoshikawa, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Akira Ishikawa, Jiro Inagaki & More...

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop

Be Hard Bop - The Psychedelic Soul

Psychedelic Grooves & Pop Rhythms including Rock 'N' Roll standards, Soul & Pop covers recorded from 1967 to 1974, performed by some finest japanese GS (for Group Sounds), Pop singers & Jazz players featuring Jimmy Takeuchi, Reiko Mari, D'Swooners, Masahiko Sato, Minoru Muraoka, Takeshi Inomata & more...

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop

Be Hard Bop - New Stream In Jazz Vol. 3

Compilation series dedicated to the Golden Age of Japanese Jazz scene through the years 60-70's. This volume includes a selection of Jazz Funk grooves & Electronic sounds featuring disco beats, slapping bass, wah wah effects, all served by synthesizer & Fender Rhodes. The songs are performed by some of legendary Fusion Jazz scene musicians of the seventies among others Akira Ishikawa, Hiromasa Suzuki, Mikio Masuda or Shunzo Ohno. All tracks recorded between 1973-1979.

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop

Be Hard Bop - This is Soul Jazz

Tribute to the legendary Hammond B3, the organ star, a compilation of thirteen tracks performed by the main actors from the Soul Jazz movement, released under Atlantic, Blue Note or Prestige labels between 1966 & 1973 

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop

Sandro Brugnolini ‎– Overground

Year : 2008/1970
Label : Cinedelic Records/Sincro Edizioni Musicali
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic, Avant-garde, Soul Jazz

Alessandro Brugnolini is an italian composer and alto sax player inspired by Miles Davis' works, best known as former member of super italian jazz group, The Modern Jazz Gang from 1956 to 1965. He was the main composer & arranger for the band, whose the most notable albums among others Miles Before And After (1960) and the original soundtrack from Gli Arcangeli (1962) featuring  american Jazz vocalist Helen Merrill. In 1958, Sandro gains some attention winning the prize of best original piece at National Jazz Festival for his composition Arpo recorded with the Modern Jazz Gang. During the seventies, Sandro frequently collaborated with Stefano Torossi on several Music Library records and various project including Musica Per Comment Sonori (Costanza Records - 1969) and the famous Feelings released in 1974. Sandro has likewise in charge of several music for TV programs & movies as Fantabulous, Inc. (1967), Gungala La Pantera Nuda (1968), Underground (Record TV Discografica label - 1970) or L'Uomo Dagli Occhiali A Specchio (1975). Recorded in 1970 during the same studio session as Undeground LP, Overground was also composed & arranged with the contribution of Luigi Malatesta featuring the Rai TV session musicians such as guitarist Silvano Chimenti or organist Giorgio Carnini. This reissue includes  the Jazz Rock Avant Garde Brain, the Psychedelic ballads Adrie's Dream & Roxy, Soul Jazz mood (Celluin & Simanite), fuzz & freak out guitar on the two bonus tracks Cromaton & Cortex. All tracks composed & arranged by Sandro Brugnolini & Luigi Malatesta.

Giovanni Tommaso_bass

Enzo Restuccia_drums

Giorgio Carnini_organ, piano

Angelo Baroncini & Silvano Chimenti_guitar,

01. Celluin

02. Adrie's Dream

03. Cirotil

04. Amofen

05. Cromaton

06. Simanite    

07. Roxy    

08. Alipid    

09. Brain

10. Cortex

LISTEN SAMPLE

Keith Mansfield~Alan Hawkshaw ‎– The Big Beat

Year : 1969

Label : KPM

Genre : Jazz, Funk/Soul

Style : Pop, Easy Listening, Soul Jazz

KPM is the most famous british music libary label specialized  in background music for TV shows, films & advertising. The popular KPM 1044, best known under The Big Beat's name, brings together several tracks composed by Keith Mansfield & Alan Hawkshaw including Exclusive Blend, Studio 69 & three extracted from The Champ LP by Hawkshaw's group, The Mohawks : Rocky Mountain Runabout, Beat Me 'Til I'm Blue & Senior Thump. All tracks composed & arranged by Alan Hawkshaw except tracks 1, 9, 10, 14 & 16 by Keith Mansfield. Many contempory Hip-Hop artists have sampled some materials from KPM recordings as Danger Doom (Funky Fanfare for Old School feat. Talib Kweli - 2005), Gnarls Barkley, Jay-Z or Madlib  for their cuts. Various songs as also used in movies as Move, Move, Move for Nacho Libre film (2006), or in the Quentin Tarantino film's Kill Bill (The Astro Daters). Keith Mansfield & Alan Hawkshaw appear together on sevearl KPM recordings : Soul Organ Showcase (1968), Beat Incidental (1969), Speed And Excitement (1970) & Big Business / Wind Of Change ‎(1973).

•  Keith Mansfield

Keith Mansfield was a major figure in the british music library scene, conductor and multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer of a lot of soundtracks, various British TV's shows (mainly for BBC). Mansfield was credited as arranger and conductor alonside of Dusty Springfield (Dusty... Definitely), the Scotish rock group Marmalade (There's A Lot Of It About) ; as Keith Mansfield Orchestra, worked for american Jazz vocalist Salena Jones (The Moment Of Truth) or trumpeter Maynard Fergusson (The Ballad Style Of Maynard Fergusson).

 

• Alan Hawkshaw

Alan Hawkshaw is an organist who composed & arranged many movies themes and was in charge of music for TV programs (as Studio 69 composed for the Dave Allen Show). He played in several band, first during the early sixties in the Emile Ford & The Checkmates or later, in the seventies, joining the group The Shadows. As keyboardist, Alan played for his drummer friend, Brian Bennett from The Shadows (Change Of Direction) and during the BBC sessions for David Bowie & The Tony Visconti Orchestra or also toured with The Rolling Stones. As arranger/keyboardist, he was likewise recruited by Serge Gainsbourg on Vu De l'Extérieur, Rock Around The Bunker & L'Homme A Tête de Choux.

01. Exclusive Blend    

02. Studio 69    
03. Work Out   
04. Rocky Mountain Runabout
05. Beat Me 'Til I'm Blue
06. Roving Reporter    
07. Senior Thump
08. Tap Footer  
09. Teenage Travelogue    
10. Teenage Ton Up    
11. Delivery Date    
12. A Touch Of Nonsense    
13. Man On The Move    
14. The Mexican D.J.    
15. Debsville   
16. Red Square Stomp

LISTEN SAMPLE

Jimmy Takeuchi & His Exciters - Pops Best 24

Year : 1971

Label : Toshiba

Serie : Drum Drum Drum Series

Genre : Jazz, Rock

Style : Pop, Funk/Soul, Rock&Roll

Best known Jimmy Takeuchi's record, first volume of three compilation serie, a double LP featuring Pop covers (The Beatles, André Popp, Simon, & Garfunkel...) & the classics of Rock 'N' Roll (The Ventures, The Elvis Presley or Bill Halley). Recorded from the late 60's to the early 70's, titles include the Jazz Standard Caravan, Come Together, the Shocking Blue's pop hit Venus, Be Bop A Lula & the incredible Wipe Out by The Surfaris. Most of the songs can be found on several original Jimmy Takeuchi's albums but the whole of tracks on side A, B & C are also extracted from others Drum Drum Drum compilations themes : The Ventures, The Beatles & Rock 'N' Roll Survival. All tracks performed by Jimmy Takeuchi & His Exciters, arranged by Kunihiko Suzuki.

Side A : Hits Of The Ventures

Kyoto Doll

Diamond Head

The Cruel Sea

Slaugter On 10th Avenue

Wipe Out

Caravan

LISTEN SAMPLE

Side B : Hits Of The Beatles

Let It Be

Come Together

Hey Jude

Hello Goodbye

Lady Madonna

Help

LISTEN SAMPLE

Side C : Hits Of Pop

  

Venus

Aquarius

Those Were The Days    

Manchester Et Liverpool    

La Pioggia    

The Sound Of Silence

LISTEN SAMPLE

Side D : Hits Of Rock'N'Roll

Be Bop A Lula
Jailhouse Rock
What'd I Say    
Diana   
Rock Around The Clock   
Heartbreak Hotel

LISTEN SAMPLE

Tom Scott & The L.A. Express - Tom Cat

Year : 1975
Label : Ode Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

The Last but not least the best album from Tom Scott featuring The L. A. Express before continue their own career. Joe Sample and Larry Carlton left the band replaced by Larry Nash & Robben Ford, but the Crusaders' influences still remains on Tom Cat : Straight-ahead Jazz with funky grooves associated to the Fender Rhodes in the same vain. Titles include Rock Island Rocket which introduces brilliantly the album, some shades with the sweet mood music Love Poem featuring the folk artist Joni Mitchell & the spanish fusion Rondo.

Tom Scott_woodwinds, percussion, keys

Robben Ford_guitar 

Max Bennett_bass 

John Guerin_drums & percussion
Larry Nash_keyboards  

01. Rock Island Rocket
02. Tom Cat
03. Day Way
04. Keep On Doin' It
05. Love Poem
06. Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All The Ships At Sea
07. Backfence Cattin'
08. Rondo
09. Refried

LISTEN SAMPLE

Tom Scott And The L.A. Express (Self-Titled)

Year : 1974
Label : Ode Records
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

American Pop Jazz ensemble, originally formed in 1973 as the backing band for jazz saxophonist Tom Scott, The L.A. Express plays crossover jazz & fusion Jazz Funk, featuring the two Jazz Crusaders, Larry Carlton & Joe Sample. The band was recruited by Joni Mitchell for her live recordings in 1974 and later for the studio album, Hissing Of Summer Lawns (1975). Tom Scott, is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, former member of the legendary Blues Brothers band, best known as composer of several TV theme songs among Starsky & Hutch or The Streets Of San Francisco. Tom Scott has played likewise for various Jazz musicians but likewise for Pop artists from Gabor Szabo, Quincy Jones, Billy Cobham to George Harrison, Paul McCartney or  The Grateful Dead. Titles include four of his own compositions King Cobra, Easy Life, Spindrift, Strut Your Stuff plus the John Coltrane cover song, Dahomey Dance & Nunya, which was added to the Diggin' Deeper (The Roots Of Acid Jazz) volume 2, the compilation serie created by the german music magazine "Jazz Thing".

Tom Scott_horns, woodwind

Joe Sample_keyboards

Larry Carlton_guitar

Max Bennett_bass

John Guerin_drums & percussion

01. Bless My Soul

02. Sneakin' In The Back

03. King Cobra

04. Dahomey Dance

05. Nunya

06. Easy Life

07. Spindrift

08. Strut Your Stuff

09. L.A. Expression

10. Vertigo

LISTEN SAMPLE

Kazuo Yashiro Trio - Black Nag

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Post Bop

One of most wanted Takt Jazz album by this another legendary japanese jazz trio formed by Kazuo Yashiro featuring band leader of The Exciters, Jimmy Takeuchi, Masanaga Harada & engineer Kunihiko Sugano. This japanese jazz masterpiece include pop rhythms, boogaloo style & super grooves, playing for us some great standards from Jazz (Love For Sale by Cole Porter or the Sonny Burke's Black Coffee) to Bossa Nova (Chico Buarque' Carolina & A.C. Jobim's Favela), The Beatles cover Lady Madonna, plus two original compositions of Kazuo including the brilliant Black Nag which was selected for the both "Shibuya Jazz Classics/Midnight Tokyo" famous compilations, supervised by Sleep Walker & Konishi Yasuharu.

Kazuo Yashiro_piano

Masanaga Harada_electric bass

Jimmy Takeuchi_drums

01. Love For Sale

02. Carolina

03. Marionette Blues

04. Black Coffee

05. Lady Madonna

06. Black Nag

07. Georgia On My Mind

08. Favela

LISTEN SAMPLE

Be Hard Bop - A Day In The Life

The popular cover songs from The Beatles performed by the giants of Jazz, Soul & Pop music. The group has forever marked the history of music as evidenced these eighteen incredible tracks, recorded between 1966 & 1974, featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Grant Green, Ramsey Lewis, Sergio Mendes, Jackie Wilson, Sandie Shaw & many more...

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop

Be Hard Bop - Brazilian Tapestry Vol. 2

More Latin Grooves from Pop, Bossa Nova & Jazz Samba performed by brazilian and american artists, a compilation of 24 amazing songs recorded between 1965-1971 featuring Quincy Jones, Baden Powell, Marcos Valle, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben, Elis Regina, Claudette Soares...

Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop