George Otsuka, sadly passed away in March 2020, was one of Japan’s most renowned jazz drummers. After three records with the George Otsuka Trio in the late part of the 60’s, “Sea Breeze” was released in 1971 on the Union label, his first record in quintet formation and a superb album which showcases the thrilling talent of this band. Included the brilliant jazz-funk track “Sea Breeze” and the astonishing cover of “Fool on the Hill”.
eorge Otsuka (or Ohtsuka), sadly passed away in March 2020, was one of Japan’s most renowned jazz drummers. “Sea Breeze”, released in 1971 on the Union label, is his first record in quintet formation. And we can say that George Otsuka knew how to surround himself : Shunzo Ohno is on trumpet and Flugelhorn, Takao Uematsu on tenor sax and soprano, Takashi Mizuhashi on bass and Hideo Ichikawa on electric piano. If all the tracks on this album are solid, included the astonishing cover of “Fool on the Hill”, it is especially “Sea Breeze”, the eponymous track opening the album that will make an impression. A super and long jazz funk track where the five musicians, in perfect osmosis, leave each other enough space to express the full extent of their talent.
For fans of this formidable quintet, another album is available in the Très Jazz Club catalog, “Physical Structure”, initially released in 1976 on the Three Blind Mice label.