Description
Isao Suzuki – String Band (ストリング・バンド) is a legendary 12-inch Japanese jazz masterpiece from 1978, newly repressed as a highly anticipated premium reissue.
Originally tracked during a historic Direct-to-Disk recording session in August 1978, String Band serves as a showcase for the genius of the late Japanese bass maestro Isao Suzuki. For this unparalleled studio meeting, Suzuki armed himself with his signature piccolo bass and assembled a legendary, heavyweight American rhythm section featuring Hank Jones on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and fellow bass giant Ron Carter on double bass.
Arranged and conducted by the brilliant Masahiko Satoh, the record expertly layers a lush classical string quartet (violins, viola, and cello) directly over intense, deep-groove jazz rhythms. Balancing modal jazz intensity with exquisite melodic beauty, the tracklist spans a transformative, modal reimagining of Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" to stunning, melancholic chamber-jazz originals. This performance captures two cultures interacting at the absolute peak of late-'70s high-fidelity recording capabilities.
