Naniwa Express (ナニワエキスプレス, also written as 浪花エキスプレス) was a Japanese jazz fusion group active from 1977 to 1986. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz it was "one of the most successful jazz fusion bands in Japan".^[1] The group was founded by Ko Shimizu and Kazuhiko Iwami, with Kiyoshi Kamada on drums in the early years; Kenji Nakamura joined in 1978. The group traveled to the USA in 1979 and returned in 1980; Rikiya Higashihara and Makoto Aoyagi joined in 1981. The group made its first recordings for CBS/Sony in 1982, and continued recording until its dissolution in 1986. Limited reunion touring and recording occurred in the 2000s.

Members

• Kazuhiko Iwami - guitar
• Kenji Nakamura - keyboards
• Ko Shimizu (ja) - bass
• Makoto Aoyagi (ja) - piano, saxophone
• Rikiya Higashihara - drums

Discography

• No Fuse (CBS/Sony, 1982)
• Daiuchuhmugenryokushin (CBS/Sony, 1982)
• Wind Up (CBS/Sony, 1983)
• Modern Beat (CBS/Sony, 1984)
• Silent Savanna (CBS/Sony, 1985)
• life of music (Wave Flower, 2003)^[2]
• THIS is IT! (Wave Flower, 2004)^[3]
• Fresh Dude (Danger Crue, 2012)^[4]

References