Friday, August 19, 2011

Casiopea - Mint Jams (1982)


Casiopea was the debut album of the jazz fusion group Casiopea released in 1979. The album showed two racecars racing each other on a raceway.

Recorded between December 1978 and March 1979, "Casiopea" is Casiopea's self-titled debut album. The Album's release date, May 1979, marked a strong beginning in their Career, and even though the lineup in the band didn't remain as such, and some of the members were replaced a couple of years later, the band had already the sound that becomes its trademark in later albums, a sound provided by Frontman and Guitarist Issei Noro as well as Keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya, both of which are Original, Never Replaced, members of Casiopea. The album includes the participation of some notable contemporary Jazz players as David Sanborn on the Saxophone, giving a special touch to Issei Noro's compositions, tunes like Black Joke are part of the multiple performances and variances along Casiopea's career. In some of Casiopea's Later Albums, Black Joke and Midnight Rendezvous are 2 songs that Casiopea sometimes Re-records, and Performs, in different Variations.
"Casiopea" is an excellent debut album that absolutely will guide New Casiopea fans to their vast career. The album is undoubtedly a good point to start up, and it's important to remark that the band started to tour in Japan very early and an album in live was launched just a year later of their formation, being Casiopea's debut album a historic point of reference.
The Casiopea discography has become very collectible, the band is not as popular as many Jazz bands but counts with thousands of fans around the world. This album was recorded on LP in 1979 as ALR-6017 and years later in 1986 on CD under the 32XA-104 catalog numbers, being the first editions on both LP and CD.

Title : Mint Jams
Year: 1982
Genere: Jazz Fusion
Label: Sony

Track List
01. Take Me
02. Asayake
03. Midnight Rendezvous
04. Time Limit
05. Domino Line
06. Tears of the Star
07. Swear