Nihon no Koten Geijutsu

[Machine Translation] A relentless storm of folk songs, Latin music, and jazz. Naoteru Misuna and Norio Maeda, two masters of the classical arts, have created a classic art form that is both novel and stimulating. The Tokyo Cuban Boys were led by Naoteru Misuna, "Maestro Misuna. The Tokyo Cuban Boys were formed in 1949, when the genre of Latin music had not even been established in Japan. The Tokyo Cuban Boys are one of Japan's leading big bands, having produced more than 300 albums to date. During its long history, the band has actively incorporated other genres and music of the time while remaining rooted in the field of Latin music. Among their internationally acclaimed works are those that focus on traditional Japanese music, such as min'yo and ko'yo. Arranged by master arranger Ken Maeda, this album is a masterpiece that sublimates folk songs, Latin, and jazz into a stimulating sound. The album features a variety of elaborate songs, including "Sakura Sakura," a song that has captivated audiences around the world, which moves between Afro-Cuban jazz and jazz rock, "Karihagiri Uta," "Yagi Bushi," "Genroku Hanami Odori," and "Awaodori. The use of shakuhachi by Miyata Kohachiro and koto by Sawai Tadao is also superb. This is it! This is "Japanese Jazz" that makes you want to say, "This is it!

容赦なく荒れ狂う民謡+ラテン+ジャズの嵐。見砂直照と前田憲男、ふたりの巨匠が創出した、あまりにも斬新で刺激的な古典芸術。"マエストロ見砂"こと見砂直照が率いた東京キューバン・ボーイズ。その結成は、まだ日本でラテン音楽というジャンルすら確立していなかった1949年のこと。これまでに制作された作品は軽く300枚を超えるという、日本を代表するビッグ・バンドのひとつである。長い活動歴のなか、ラテン音楽のフィールドに根を下ろしながらも他ジャンルの音楽や時代の音楽を積極的に取り入れてきた同バンド。なかでも世界的に評価されるのが、民謡や古謡などの日本の伝統音楽にフォーカスした作品である。名匠・前田憲が編曲を手掛けた本作は、民謡+ラテン+ジャズを刺激的なサウンドに昇華した大傑作。世界を虜にした、アフロ・キューバン・ジャズとジャズ・ロックを行き来する超強力な「さくらさくら」を筆頭に、「刈干切唄」、「八木節」、「元禄花見踊り」、「阿波踊り」など意匠を凝らした曲がずらりと並ぶ。宮田耕八朗の尺八と、沢井忠夫の琴の起用も見事。これぞ! と言いたくなる痛快な"和ジャズ"である。text by 尾川雄介 (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)