T.Honda (Takehiro Honda) & His Orchestra ”What’s Going On”

T.Honda (Takehiro Honda) & His Orchestra

”What’s Going On”
( LP Trio Records, 1973 )
Catalog # PA-9722

Tracklisting:
Side A
1-Ain’t tell you a good way but
2-Check out your mind
3-Ain’t funky now
4-What’s going on
Side B
1-Sham time
2-Greasy spoon
3-Dock of the bay

Personnel & Credits:
T.Honda (piano,Electronic piano,hammond)
T.Fushimi (tr)
S.Morikawa (tr)
Teddy Adams (trom)
K.Mine (A.sax)
K.Takeda (T.sax)
James Check (dr)
T.Kusumoto (dr)
T.Kawabata (b)
Ken Lawson (gu)
Y.Imamura (conga)
Arr.Teddy Adams,T.Honda

Review:
Early soul jazz piano work from Takehiro Honda — recorded in a style that’s quite different than most of his later albums! The sound here is full and rich — with Honda’s work on the keys augmented by fuller backings arranged by Teddy Adams — all recorded in the US (we think), with a quality that’s a fair bit like some of the best soul jazz coming out of LA at the end of the 60s! Honda plays both acoustic and electric piano — and the groove has a hiply vamping style that’s always verging on funky, but which is a bit more laidback overall. The record echoes with plenty of the best influences from Les McCann, The Crusaders, Gerald Wilson, and other west coast soul jazz figures — and titles include “Greasy Spoon”, “Sham Time”, “Ain’t Tell You A Good Way But”, “Ain’t It Funky Now”, “What’s Going On”, and “Check Out Your Mind”.

Pier’s Note:
Japaneses playing Brown’s & Gaye’s covers…fantastic!

By Pier