Mined Melody #1: Jiro Inagaki
I’ve never tried keeping a blog before.
As time has raced by, I’ve become increasingly interested in doing so. The most recent evolutions of our social media platforms have left me desiring a completely different place to go and share— that’s a story for a different time. This post is about music. I’m tentatively calling this type of post “Mined Melody.” I’ll be sharing artists, albums, and songs that I find really exciting.
Whenever I find music that is new to me, it evokes an energetic joy in my body—a strong desire to share what I’ve heard.
In the past, I’ve sent songs to friends and family. Now, I’ll put them all here. I’ve been incredibly honored to have people trust my music tastes and recommendations, because music is so special to me and sharing songs has been a big part of how I communicate with others. Most of the time, my appreciation of a work of art doesn’t feel complete until its existence has been shared or enjoyed with another.
Let’s turn to Japanese jazz saxophonist Jiro Inagaki and His Soul Media. I’ll be focussing on the album “Funky Stuff”, which was to my delight served to me on Spotify as a recommendation.
Funky Stuff by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media released in 1975 via Nippon Columbia Co.
“Painted Paradise” kicks this album off in a way that pulled me in with upbeat articulated rhythms and a groove that is undeniable! The song that follows, “Funky Motion” is a standout in the project for me for its extended bass solo beginning about 1:11 in. It’s a spectacularly dynamic solo. My favorite thing about it is that you can hear the bassist vocalizing the notes while playing (ugh! aspirational). I haven’t been able to get a clear confirmation on who it is on the recording but my searches online point to Akira Okazawa. I’ll update this post when if find out!