Forgotten Treasure: Hiroshi Fukumura “White Clouds” (1978)

Whether it be scotch or vinyl pressings, when the Japanese take something they admire and cherish on, they do it proper! It’s no secret that the Land of the Rising Sun is home to some of the most astute jazz fans. Their respect and adulation has brought new life in many jazz greats’ fledgling careers (Art Pepper, Chet Baker and Bill Evans to name a few). Always open to free and modal jazz, it is no wonder a healthy local scene emerged.

Hiroshi Fukumura (trombone) and Sadao Watanabe (saxophone) are at polar opposites of that scene, in terms of their prolificness. Hiroshi has less than five albums while Sadao released over 50 records. On their late ’70s joint release Hunt Up Wind, they managed to create a gem aptly entitled White Clouds. For me, genius in jazz happens in a moment; an instant of a furtive session, where one song can justify a whole album. I was expecting a jazz-funk affair like the title track seemed to indicate but was blown away by the peaceful smoothness of White Clouds. Let yourself be whisked away by the Rhodes playing (truly the driving force of the composition) and sink deeper into the best mellow jazz has to offer.

New life was also brought back into this sublime piece with DJ Day‘s masterful edit (featuring the part more likely to lead to white clouds of smoke). Finally, another standout track from O.C.‘s softer sophomore release, which sampled it to great effect.

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Credits
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute – Sadao Watanabe
Arranged By – Hiromasa “Colgen” Suzuki* (tracks: A1 to A4, B2 to B4), Sadao Watanabe (tracks: B1)
Design [Album] – Kaoru Watanabe
Drums – Harvey Mason
Electric Bass – Chuck Rainey
Electric Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Engineer – Hideo Takada
Mastered By – Tohru Kotetsu
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
Photography By [Cover] – Kazumi Kurigami
Photography By [Inner Sleeve] – Masahiro Fujita
Piano [Acoustic, Rhodes] – Don Grusin
Producer – Akira Taguchi, Kiyoshi Itoh
Remix – Hideo Takada
Trombone – Hiroshi Fukumura

Recorded June 25, 1978 at Victor Studio, Tokyo.
Mastered at Cutting Center Aoyama.
Manufactured and Distributed by Victor Musical Industries, Inc. Tokyo
℗ 1978 Printed in Japan