Saturday, February 17, 2024
Friday, July 28, 2023
Introducing 1970s Japanese Jazz
I've only recently had the pleasure of discovering this awesome genre of music, and thought I would put together a list, sharing with you the power and magical mystery and spiritually uplifting beauty of 1970s Japanese Jazz.
I love disco, but Japanese Jazz is at a whole other level. It's so cool, and so worth listening to, especially for those having an appreciation for progressive rock, jazz fusion, and funk, this is in my opinion some of the best music ever made.
So, just as a very brief introduction to the genre, here is a sampling of five awesome 1970s Japanese Jazz songs, plus a bonus song, personally handpicked by me, your humble host of Effortless Flow, the blog that sadly apparently no one reads.
1) Ryo Fukui - Early Summer (1976)
2) Hiroshi Suzuki - Shrimp Dance (1975)
3) Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - Breeze (1975)
4) Ryo Kawasaki - The Breeze and I (1976)
5) Hiromasa Suzuki - Scramble (1976)
(Bonus Song) Funk No.1 - TOKYO GROOVE JYOSHI
This one is technically not from the 1970s, but these women are so awesome, are so profoundly talented, that I would be remiss not to mention them. In fact, I have never been so impressed with an all female band as I am with them, and I can honestly say that these women embody the spirit of 1970s Japanese Jazz better than most. Especially noteworthy is the fact that they are probably young enough to be the granddaughters of the pioneers of this genre. How mind blowing is that?
Sunday, July 23, 2023
The Top Five Disco Songs of All Time
Now for something lighthearted and fun.
After all there's only so much contemplation of illuminati death cults and the end of the world one can take. Yes, I am still alive and well, though struggling somewhat with a mysterious ten pound weight gain, poor quality sleep, and recurring thoughts of impending doom.
So, today we will take a break and enjoy some good music.
It's true that disco is not for everyone. It seems to be something that people either love or hate. It's funny because my parents were of the disco era and hated it. They were more into Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. I was born during the disco era, but too young to remember it, and probably never heard it growing up, but years later, when I finally did discover it, I loved it, always have.
Last night I found this list of the 37 best disco songs of all time, and I listened to every single song, with headphones, and picked out what I personally feel to be the best of the best, the top five disco songs of all time. There will be no Bee Gees or Barry White on my list. And sorry, no Blondie this time. But these five songs are solid gold. Listen to them in order, from five to one. I spent a lot of time deciding the order, and what goes together for DJ quality of blending, saving what I feel to be the best for last: Donna Summer, the epitome of disco, the mother goddess of electronic and techno house music, and arguably the best disco song of all time. Enjoy!