KOSUKE MINE FIRST (Remastered) Kohsuke Mine

• 1Morning Tide10:46
• 2Love Talken06:03
• 3Straight No Chaser07:42
• 4Mcphee09:29
• 5Little Abbi10:09
• 6Bar' L' Len05:53
• Total Runtime50:02

Info for KOSUKE MINE FIRST (Remastered)

Japanese jazz is sadly one of best-kept secret. But, it would be a a huge lost to miss "Mine", sublime first album of Kosuke Mine Quintet, released in 1970 on the legendary Three blind mice label. The record, made of a 4 long pieces where Kosuke Mine's sax (alto and soprano) and Hideo Ichikawa's Fender Rhodes never stop to respond each other is a monument of dense and spiritual jazz.

BBE Music present the latest in the acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Kohsuke Mine ‘First’, the debut album by one of the leading artists in the new wave of modern jazz that swept Japan in the late 60s and early 70s. ‘First’ epitomises the shifting sound of the Japanese modern jazz scene of the time, characterised by rich textures and tones, kinetic rhythms, punctuated by urgent, angular melody lines.

Reissued for the first time since original 1970 release, Mine is joined by master keyboard player Masabumi Kikuchi on electric piano, and two American players – bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Lenny McBrowne – to deliver one of the strongest debuts in the J Jazz canon. ‘First’ announced the arrival of a serious talent, one who was to be a hugely influential figure in the Japanese jazz scene across the decade that followed and beyond. ‘First’ established an artist who built a reputation for standout albums spanning spiritual jazz, post-bop, modal and funk-fusion. All of that started here, on this exemplary album.

"First might be an illustration of uninhibited studio collaboration, but it would be wrong to minimize the input of the man whose name adorns the cover. Mine’s sax work is cast in the spirit of Coltrane’s post-Ascension freedom, soaring around the room in fluttering flight. The sleek, sly “McPhee” begins with Ridley’s fingers creeping up and down his double bass like a cat burglar on an uneven roof; Mine joins him in creating the rhythm, before cascading away without losing the song’s sense of collectedness. His performance on “Little Abbi” is a clinic in midnight-cool jazz sounds. The album ends with “Bar ‘L’ Len” and some eccentric orchestral stabs that make way for a huge drum solo. It’s like finishing the night with a shot of hard liquor before dashing out the door." (Dean Van Nguyen, pitchfork.com)

Kohsuke Mine, alto saxophone
Larry Ridley, bass
Lenny McBrowne, drums
Masabumi Kikuchi, electric piano, Fender Rhodes

Recorded at Victor Studio, June 17 & 18th. 1970
Engineered by Norio Yoshizawa
Produced by Masaharu Honjo

Digitally remastered

Kohsuke Mine
Japanese jazz and jazz-fusion saxophonist. Born on February 6, 1944 in Tokyo. Released his debut leader album in 1970 on japan jazz label Three Blind Mice (also TBM first release). He left the clarinet program at his high school to turn pro in 1962 with the Blue Seven. In 1969 he earned accolades as a member of Masabumi Kikuchi 's quintet; a year later he released his first record, Morning Tide. He studied in the US for a time in the seventies, and returned to Japan in 1975 with an interest in fusion, recording Sunshower and other records as a founding member of Native Son. He worked with many jazz musicians, including Masabumi Kikuchi, Mal Waldron, Gil Evans, and Sadao Watanabe. He has more recently recorded with a standard quintet and with Masahiko TogashI's J.J. Spirits Alias and bands: Kosuke Mine Quartet, Mine Kosuke Quintet, Kohske Mine, Native Son, Four Sounds Recordings: Mine (1970); First (1970 with masabumi kikuchi,larry ridley,lenny mcbrowne ), Second Album (TBM 1972), Daguri (1973), Yellow Carcass in the Blue feat. Kimiko Kasai (TBM 8), Out of Chaos (1974), Solid (1975), Sunshower (East Wind 1976), Major to Minor (1993), Duo (Verve 1994), In a Maze (Verve1995), Balancez (1997), Rendez Vous (2004), Killing Floor (2004), Plays Standards (2008), With Your Soul (2011) + LPs from band Native Son (1978 onwards) and Four Sounds (90').

This album contains no booklet.