SADAO WATANABE — Swiss Air: Live at Montreux 1975 (review)

SADAO WATANABE — Swiss Air: Live at Montreux 1975 album cover Live album · 1975 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Sadao Watanabe is one between best known outside of Japan Japanese jazz musicians. In late 60s- early 70s he was on the top of his popularity playing pop-jazz and soft fusion (both genres are far of my interest in music).

Swiss Air , recorded in mid 70s, is his very special album - and I love it! Full-acoustic quartet with excellent pianist Takehiro Honda plays Watanabe's neo-bop originals live at Montreux!You can't believe what a different music it is!

Sadao plays energetic and inventive reeds without being afraid to disappoint his regular soap-jazz fans, pianist Takehiro Honda is a hero of the day - his excellent fast,technical and groovy piano almost steals all the show!

Rhythm section is very competent, and all music has slight African flavor,characteristic for Watanabe's more commercial works of same period. Excellent (if too short)and perfectly recorded live show for dedicated public,it sounds great even on old vinyl (not sure if this album was ever re-released on CD).

On this album Sadao Watanabe shows how enjoyable music he could play when he just is free to play what he likes to play.No final verdict to Watanabe's music could be done without listening to this his perfect album.





Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Sustain Avant-Garde Jazz
AALY TRIO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sunset Park Post Bop
TOBIAS MEINHART
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us