Mr Bongo reissues rare Japanese spiritual jazz-funk ‘Bamboo’ by Minoru Muraoka
Mr Bongo has recently released a very welcomed reissue of Minoru Muraoka’s 1970 funky spiritual jazz masterpiece Bamboo.
This highly obscure nine-track album features Muraoka on shakuhachi, which is a traditional bamboo Japanese flute, backed by a combination of traditional Japanese folkloric instrumentation, and Western-influenced jazz. The music is as spiritual as it is funky, featuring numerous hypnotic melodies and heavy-hitting breakbeat grooves throughout the recording. Much of the material are renditions of jazz standards including Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five,” however it’s the two original pieces in “The Positive and the Negative”(which was also included on Jazzman Records’ brilliant ‘Spiritual Jazz 8’ compilation) and “Bamboo Soul” that are the record’s strongest tracks.
Sampled numerous times, this album has received high-praise from some of the best producers and beat-makers in the world including Cut Chemist, Madlib, and DJ Shadow. Overall, another quality reissue for Mr Bongo as the label and record shop celebrate 30 years.
Minoru Muraoka — ‘Bamboo’
(Originally released: 1970 / United Artists Records)
(Reissued: 2019 / Mr Bongo)
1. Take Five
2. Nogamigawa Funauta
3. The Positive And The Negative
4. And I Love Her
5. The House Of The Rising Sun
6. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
7. Soul Bamboo
8. Call Me
9. Scarborough Fair
FAVORITE TRACK: “The Positive And The Negative”
