Sky View

The rising scent of fresh greenery. A vivid and beautiful story spun by a young Hidefumi Toki with a one-horn quartet. Hidefumi Toki turned professional while in high school and was active in groups such as the New Herd, Isao Suzuki, Terumasa Hino, Ryo Kawasaki, and Fumio Itabashi. From the late 1970s he also performed with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tatsuro Yamashita, taking part broadly in the Japanese music scene across jazz, fusion, and pop. This is his third album, recorded in 1976, following "Toki" and "Lover Man," a twin-leader combo with Yoshio Otomo. It lines up dazzling great songs and performances, such as "Sky View," where an expansive saxophone shines over a delicate melody, and "Let's Get Together," which seems to send up the scent of fresh greenery. The backing support by Yoshio Ikeda and Steve Jackson, along with Mikio Masuda, who also contributed compositions, is superb. Gentle in its gaze and refined and vivid in its playing, it is a masterpiece packed with the appeal of the young Toki. Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

立ち昇る新緑の香り。若き日の土岐英史がワン・ホーン・カルテットで紡いだ、瑞々しく美しい物語。高校生でプロ入りし、ニューハード、鈴木勲、日野皓正、川崎燎、板橋文夫などのグループで活動した土岐英史。1970 年代後半からは坂本龍一や山下達郎などとも共演し、ジャズ~フュージョン～ポップスと広く日本の音楽シーンに携わった。本作は『Toki』、大友義雄との双頭コンボによる『Lover Man』に続く、1976年録音のサード・アルバム。繊細な曲調に伸びやかなサックスが映える「Sky View」や、新緑の香りが立ち昇るような「Let's Get Together」など、眩いばかりの名曲/名演が並ぶ。曲も提供した益田幹夫をはじめ、池田芳夫、スティーヴ・ジャクソンによるバックのサポートも見事。優しい視線と端正で瑞々しい演奏。若き日の土岐の魅力が詰まった傑作である。text by 尾川雄介 (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)