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I'm in the process of "needle dropping" several LPs that have never made it to CD or download. I started with Joanne Brackeen's two Tappen Zee LPs, "Keyed In" & "Ancient Dynasty". Next up will be a couple of Lew Tabackin LPs, "Tabackin" (Inner City) - also called "Let The Tape Roll" & "Tenor Gladness" (Inner City), which has been released on CD in Japan but I never got around to ordering. After that, I'm planning Cecil Payne's "Bright Moments" & "Brookfield Adante", both on the Spotlite label. I'm a sucker for baritone sax dates. I'll probably also do Don Joseph's "One Of A Kind" (Uptown) as I've kinda given up on the expanded digital release that @Chuck Nessa hinted at a few years ago. I used to needle drop LPs a lot years ago but got tired of the process after stupidly agreeing to make about 75 of them for a fellow in Florida in exchange for being able to keep the LPs afterward. I have all of Kamuca's Concord LPs as needle drops. I listen to them often.

Yeah, Watanabe worked with African dance and percussion troupes in the 70s, and maybe even beyond that. Of course he was also (IIRC) one of the first Japanese artists to explore bossa nova in the 60s. Pretty interesting life he's had for sure!

Sadao Watanabe is a pioneer of modern jazz in Japan, but he is perhaps best known in Japan for songs from fusion albums like "My Dear Life", "California Shower", and "Orange Express"—which were not really "smooth jazz", but influenced by African-inspired world music and Brazilian music—that were frequently played on radio and television throughout the 1970s and 1980s. I’ve heard that this style of Japanese crossover music is also popular overseas these days. Incidentally, Watanabe is 93 years old and still performs live regularly; he’s full of energy.

I think T.D. is right in that Watanabe got rolled up into the "smooth jazz" side of things and he rode that for quite a while. He's like the Japanese David Sanborn.

I vaguely remember (from the old CD101.9 radio station in NYC) that Sadao Watanabe used to get played in smooth jazz circles in the '80s. That could be a factor behind the glut of '70s-'80s commercial titles cited.

$28

I enjoy collecting vinyl. Yes, it is fun to rummage around in the stacks and discover something. I also still buy and listen to CDs. Mostly, I listen to CDs in the car and vinyl at home. When I rediscovered vinyl in 2019, I went a little crazy and bought Tone Poets of albums I have om cd. I no longer do that and try not duplicate what I have on cd. I also hardly buy new vinyl; it’s just too expensive. There’s a new company called Gammaut that is re-issuing the Mode catalogue at $50. Many seem to think it’s an ok price (shipping included) but I guess I’m frugal. The only new vinyl I purchased lately is the second Sinatra Tone Poets and that was definitely worth it. Mostly I purchased used albums and barely ever pay more than $20. I’ve been frequenting Whatnot and found some really good records.

Yes that is right. I really mean those later 1970s and early 1980s records that are everywhere. Interesting that despite the excitement around Japanese jazz on many parts of the Internet (Reddit runs on prestige Japanese jazz reissues), Watanabe isn't part of it. One assumes that they must have sold well to be so widely available. I find it really strange. Watanabe is not even mentioned as a major commercial jazz figure. The only equivalent I can think of Herbie Mann, who is similarly under-referenced and oversupplied. But Mann is obviously a bit of a quirky subject who dabbled everywhere, whereas Watanabe is more purely jazz, even if commercial. I don't get the reference. Did he do an album with this name?

those nice albums are unfortunately not the one's mentioned in the initial post... the albums that are all over the used bins seems to be a different type of j-jazz, and I doubt they are much in demand, they are mainly much in supply, all over the world... such as these two: https://www.discogs.com/master/229016-Sadao-Watanabe-Hows-Everything https://www.discogs.com/master/333825-Sadao-Watanabe-渡辺貞夫-Orange-Express-オレンジエクスプレス indeed, those records are everywhere but nobody ever talks about having listened to them...

Oh, I like Watanabe quite a bit, up to a point (mid-70s). The stuff on Takt and CBS is really, really good imo, not to mention the dates with Mariano (Victor, Takt). He was obviously a big seller for a time and had studied at Berklee, so he had the American connection and was hot on the festival circuit.

The tune I really liked was "For RJ", where Reeves plays the cello instead of a bass. It gives the music a lighter feel.

Don Friedman.

I quite enjoy it as well. Excellent tunes selection!

"What a knob, eh?" is what British people say when they don't like you.

Philip Catherine - Cote Jardin (Baseline)

AFAICT, "Japanese jazz" is really hot these days, right up there with "spiritual jazz". I follow the "Coming Soon" page at The Bastards, and that's often loaded with Japanese releases. As one of the biggest names, Sadao Watanabe may be riding that wave. His 3 albums with Charlie Mariano are the ones I most often listen to.

I'd hazard a guess that it's mainly his albums on CBS and Elektra, and those probably got excellent worldwide distribution. His wiki page is pretty interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadao_Watanabe_(musician)

Here is another: https://www.discogs.com/release/3055240-Jimmy-Rowles-The-Special-Magic-Of

"...But softly As the tune comes from his throat Trouble Mellows to a golden note..." Trumpet Player, Langston Hughes. Thank you, today and always, to all jazz musicians. Thank you to everyone who keeps the music playing. Thank you for making us so happy. Thank you for being one of my last bastions, in this disgusting and crude world. Thank you for being a beacon in the darkest hours. Thank you for seeking beauty. Thank you, today and always.

RIP 😔

Based on this, I can move beyond the SQ and dig the music. Still, I am apt to go small versus the 68 disc set 😃

Eddie Condon “Jazz As it Should be Played” Jazzology cd Some well-lubricated jazz featuring George Brunis, Wild Bill Davidson and Don Ewell.