(28 December 1941 – December 2002) was a Japanese tenor saxophone player, known for playing in a distinctive and powerful
free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...
style. He played with many of the most important Japanese free groups and musicians during the seventies, such as ESSG and those of
Masahiko Togashi
was a Japanese jazz percussionist and composer.
Togashi grew up in a musical household; his father was a double-bassist in a swing jazz ensemble, and Togashi learned violin and drums, playing the latter in his father's band. He worked with Sadao ...
,
Motoharu Yoshizawa
Motoharu Yoshizawa (吉沢元治) (1931 – September 12, 1998) was an influential Japanese bassist known for playing in a distinctive free jazz and free improvisation style, sometimes deploying electronics and using the unusual self-designed five ...
and
Masayuki Takayanagi
was a Japanese jazz / free improvisation / noise musician. He was active in the Japanese jazz scene from the late 1950s. In the 1960s he formed New Directions (later New Direction Unit), which recorded several albums throughout the 1970s. He also ...
.
History
Takagi was born in Osaka in 1941, but grew up in Yokohama. During his younger years, he spent time in the bands of players like Charlie Ishiguro and Hisashi Sakurai, but only really began developing his distinctive free style when he joined the Motoharu Yoshizawa Trio in 1968. The following year he joined Togashi's Quartet and ESSG. After Togashi's accident, Takagi played briefly with Masayuki Takayangi's New Direction Unit and in a duo with percussionist
Sabu Toyozumi
Yoshisaburo "Sabu" Toyozumi (born Tsurumi, Yokohama; 1943Rusch, Bob "The Questionnaire", ''Cadence'' Volume 15, Number 2, 1989) is one of the small group of musical pioneers who comprised the first generation playing free improvisation music in Jap ...
. From November 1973 he spent one year playing in France, returning to Japan in November 1974.
Takagi recorded very few albums as a leader over the course of his career, but he was highly valued as a collaborator by many Japanese jazz, rock and avant-garde musicians.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
* ''We Now Create'', w/
Masahiko Togashi
was a Japanese jazz percussionist and composer.
Togashi grew up in a musical household; his father was a double-bassist in a swing jazz ensemble, and Togashi learned violin and drums, playing the latter in his father's band. He worked with Sadao ...
Quartet (Victor, 1969)
* ''Isolation'', w/ Masahiko Togashi (Columbia, 1971; recorded 1969)
* ''Speed & Space'', w/ Masahiko Togashi Quartet (Union, 1969)
* ''Come back to Foster'', w/ 1864 Cotton Field Rock Band (Victor, 1970)
* ''If Ocean Is Broken'' w/ Sabu Toyozumi (Qbico, 2006) – recorded in 1970
* ''Amalgamation (Kokotsu no Showa Genroku)'', w/ Masahiko Sato & Soundbreakers (Liberty, 1971)
* ''Jazz a Maison du Japon Paris'', w/
Takashi Kako
(born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and art-music idioms.
Early life
Kako was born in Osaka. He began playing piano at eight years old and learned to play jazz while in his teens.
Later life and care ...
(Nadja, 1974)
* ''Origination'', w/ Toshiyuki Tsuchitori (ALM, 1975)
* ''Mothra Freight!'' (Interval, 1975)
* ''Waterweed'', w/ Sabu Toyozumi (1975)
* ''Story of Wind Behind Left'', w/ Masahiko Togashi Quartet (Columbia, 1975)
* ''
Meditation Among Us
''Meditation Among Us'' is an album by American percussionist Milford Graves, recorded in July 1977 and released later that year by Kitty Records. The album features Graves on drums, percussion, and piano, along with Kaoru Abe on alto and sopranin ...
'', w/ Milford Graves et al. (Kitty, 1976)
* ''Concrete Voices'', w/ EEU (1977)
* ''Talking about Fussa'', w/ King Kong Paradise (Tam, 1977)
* ''Duo & Trio'', w/ Derek Bailey et al. (Kitty, 1978)
* ''Grow'', w/ Koji Kikuchi (Johnny's Way, 1986)
* ''Kozan'', w/ Hirokazu Yamada & Motoharu Yoshizawa (Tiara, 1986)
* ''Call in Question'', w/ Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction (PSF, 1993) - recorded in 1970
* ''Deep Sea/Abyss Duo 1969'' (Shinkai), w/
Motoharu Yoshizawa
Motoharu Yoshizawa (吉沢元治) (1931 – September 12, 1998) was an influential Japanese bassist known for playing in a distinctive free jazz and free improvisation style, sometimes deploying electronics and using the unusual self-designed five ...
(PSF, 1994) - recorded in 1969
* ''2001.07.06'' (Chitei, 2001)
* ''Domo Arigato Derek Sensei'', w/ Henry Kaiser et al. (Balance Point Acoustics, 2006)
* ''If Ocean Is Broken'' w/ Sabu Toyozumi (Qbico, 2009)
* ' w/ Takashi Kako,
Sabu Toyozumi
Yoshisaburo "Sabu" Toyozumi (born Tsurumi, Yokohama; 1943Rusch, Bob "The Questionnaire", ''Cadence'' Volume 15, Number 2, 1989) is one of the small group of musical pioneers who comprised the first generation playing free improvisation music in Jap ...
(Kaitai, 2012)
* ' w/ Takashi Kako, Sabu Toyozumi (Kaitai, 2012)
* ''Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987'' (
NoBusiness, 2020) w/
Derek Bailey – live recorded in 1987
Other appearances
* V.A., ''2 to 10 Saxophone Adventure'' (Phillips, 1970)
* V.A., ''Sensational Jazz '70'' (Columbia, 1970)
* V.A., ''Genya'' (Soseki, 1971)
* V.A., ''Inspiration & Power 14'' (1973)
References
Soejima Teruto. ''Nihon furii jazu shi'' (日本フリージャズ史, The History of Japanese Free Jazz). Tokyo: Seidosha, 2002 (Japanese)
External links
WFMU tribute show to Takagi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takagi, Motoeru
Musicians from Osaka
1941 births
Japanese jazz saxophonists
Living people
21st-century saxophonists
NoBusiness Records artists