Mikio Masuda
Sky View
The scent of fresh greenery rising into the air. A youthful Hidefumi Toki weaves a vivid and beautiful story through a one-horn quartet. Making his professional debut while still in high school, Hidefumi Toki went on to perform with groups led by New Herd, Isao Suzuki, Terumasa Hino, Ryo Kawasaki, and Fumio Itabashi. From the late 1970s onward, he also collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tatsuro Yamashita, contributing broadly to Japan’s music scene across jazz, fusion, and pop.This album, re…
Moon Stone
On Moon Stone, Mikio Masuda channels the plush 70s crossover of Bob James and Ramsey Lewis into a distinctly Japanese fusion: electric keys, supple grooves and subtly psychedelic guitars gliding between jazz, rock and mellow funk.
Corazón
After moving to New York City in 1978, Mikio Masuda crafted "Corazón" alongside composer / pianist Dave Matthews, notable collaborator of the likes of Nina Simone, Idris Muhammad, Yusef Lateef and Buddy Rich. Originally released on the japanese fusion jazz label Electric Bird in 1979, this also represents his first recording outside of Japan, at the famous Electric Lady studios in New York. The album features a cover of Carole King's "Corazón", Sadao Watanabe's tune "Samba Em Praia", the caribbe…