Hiromasa Suzuki - Rock Joint Biwa, Kumikyoku Fulukotofumi LP (Cinedelic Records Gatefold Reissue)

• GATEFOLD COVER

A really majestic album from Japanese keyboardist Hiromasa Suzuki – a set that maybe takes inspiration from the progressive side of the rock spectrum at the time, but which delivers the goods with a style that's definitely jazz all the way through!

Suzuki plays both acoustic piano and electric, and with guitar from Kiyoshi Sugimoto in the group, there's definitely an electric vibe – but one that's offset by the sax work of Takeru Muraoka, trumpet of Takehisa Suzuki, and trombone of Tadataka Nakazawa! There's also work from the ancient biwa instrument from Japan, name-checked in the title – although the soaring quality of the other instrumentation really takes over at most points.