I980 Isao Suzuki & New Family Plus Shigeharu Mukai, Toshiyuki Honda “Mongolian Chant” on Paddle Wheel

Friends, I’m going to roll the dice and say this is a genuinely great record, and may, in fact, be one of the top releases on all of the massive Paddle Wheel catalog. Discogs lists this as Jazz-Funk and Fusion, which is true in a way, but also totally false. It’s Ultra-Creative Avant Groove (UCAG) which is neither funk nor fusion, although it is jazzy, and also jazz, but really is pure Suzuki in origin, conception, and delivery. Plus, it rocks the MIGHTY Shigeharu “Spacing Out” Mukai on trombone, Toshiyuki “Burnin’ Waves” Honda on trumpet, and Shigeo “The Thing” Hirayama on drums. This isn’t a collection of songs, it’s a compendium of IDEAS masquerading as music. Which means it is definitely not Fusion, which, even if done exquisitely, is really one idea. This is a canvas full of paint. I love it. Top Action!