MIHO KEI & JAZZ ELEVEN "KOKEZARU KUMIKYOKU" (MCA, 1971)

Here's what mvns about this LP: "Arranged and composed by Keitaro Miho (he didn't perform in this album), this is a spiritual adventure to a world where traditional Japanese music clashes and melts with contemporary jazz improvisations. The result is a monster of an album, with soaring vocals, searing saxophone and shakuhachi solos, mad electric piano action, uplifting koto strummings, as well as grooves so hard it feels you got punched in the gut."
  [There is a CD version (out-of-print) which is a disaster, sound quality-wise - crude needle-drop. There's also a vinyl reissue but it's out-of-print as well]




Takeru Muraoka, soprano & tenor saxophone, indian flute
Takehisa Suzuki, trumpet
Minoru Muraoka, shakuhachi
Suma No Arashi (Hideakira Sakurai, Kazuo Kojima, Nozomu Nakatani), koto
Ryo Kawasaki, electric guitar
Masahiko Satoh, electric piano, harpsichord
Yasuo Arakawa, electric bass
Kikutada Katada, tsuzumi (japanese hour-glass shaped drum)
Akira Ishikawa, drums
Takeshi Inomata, drums


A1. Mizaru   6:33
A2. Kikazaru 4:38
A3. Iwazaru  6:59
B1. Kine     7:16
B2. Nomen    7:39


MCA Records JMC-5026 (promo LP, 1971)

(vinyl rip)

SHOMYO VS JAZZ (声明VSジャズ) "BUDDHA" (CBS, 1977)

Here on side A we have monks chanting with Jazz. I know only one other project which mixes Jazz with Buddhist chanting: Bardo State Orchestra - Wheels within wheels.

Thanks to mvns!



Tetsuo Fushimi, trumpet
Konosuke Saijo, tenor saxophone
Norio Maeda, piano
Yasuo Arakawa, bass
Takeshi Inomata, drums


A1. 般若心経     5:11
A2. 般若理趣経     19:03
B1. フォー  (Four)           9:15
B2. キュート   (Cute)  10:57
B3. 奠供             1:39

Recorded in front of a live audience. Side A has (three?) monks chanting, while side B contains regular jazz playing.

CBS / Sony ‎– 25AG 234 (1977)
(vinyl rip - high def)