Nobuo Hara and His Sharps and Flats - Spanish Lady (John Handy) 1973

Hara (Tsukahara), Nobuo, tenor saxophonist, leader; b. Toyama, Japan, Nov. 19, 1926. He played in a navy band from 1943 and in Tokyo after World War II. In 1951 he became the leader of the Sharps and Flats, which in 1967 became the first Japanese big band to appear at the Newport Jazz Festival; it remained in existence making it the longest-running band in the country. The performance at Newport in 1967 was well-received because it consisted entirely of Japanese folk material arranged for big band. The band also recorded two albums with Hozan YAMAMOTO, a bamboo flute (shakuhachi) performer who has recorded several jazz records. The band still performs and records, with a handful of original members.