Isao Suzuki
- Born:
- , Tokyo, Japan
- Died:
- , Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
- Instrument:
- Bass
- Notable collaborations:
- Sadao Watanabe, George Kawaguchi, Sleepy Matsumoto, Terumasa Hino
- Genres:
- Jazz, Funk / Soul, Electronic, Stage & Screen, Pop, Hip Hop, Latin, Classical, Non-Music, Folk, World, & Country
- Styles:
- Contemporary Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Fusion, Post Bop, Modal, Free Jazz, Hard Bop, Latin Jazz, Easy Listening, Vocal
Isao Suzuki is a Japanese bassist and cellist whose work on both instruments distinguished him internationally. His career timeline shows his foundational role in Japan’s jazz scene: from his early work in the 1950s with visiting American musicians to his prolific leadership on labels like Three Blind Mice and Philips Japan in the 1970s, where albums like “Oleo” showcased his technical command and bebop vocabulary. His versatility allowed him to work across Hard Bop, Modal Jazz, and Fusion contexts, and he collaborated extensively with Japanese jazz musicians like Sadao Watanabe and George Kawaguchi, alongside sessions with American artists, establishing him as a key figure in Japan’s jazz development.
Essential Isao Suzuki Albums
Mari Nakamoto III
Mari Nakamoto, Isao Suzuki, Kazumi Watanabe
1975
Vocal
A Day Of The Sun = 陽光
Masahiko Togashi, Isao Suzuki
1979
Experimental
Push
Noriko Miyamoto, Isao Suzuki
1978
Jazz-Funk
Samba Club
Isao Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
1981
Contemporary Jazz
Blues-Blues-Blues
Sunao Wada Quartet, Isao Suzuki, Masaru Imada
1977
Soul-Jazz
Now's The Time
Isao Suzuki, Sunao Wada, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, George Otsuka Quintet
1974
Contemporary Jazz
Cadillac Woman
Isao Suzuki
1977
Contemporary Jazz
String Band Featuring Isao Suzuki
String Band, Isao Suzuki
1978
Approach
Isao Suzuki, Masahiko Togashi, Hideo Ichikawa, Akira Shiomoto
1986
Contemporary Jazz
Self-Portrait = 自画像
Isao Suzuki
1981
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Three Blind Mice | 14 |
| Paddle Wheel | 11 |
| RCA | 10 |
| Flying Disk | 6 |
| Columbia | 6 |
| CBS/Sony | 6 |
| Victor | 5 |
| Yupiteru Records | 4 |
| King Records | 4 |
| Off Note | 4 |
Isao Suzuki Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Kunihiko Sugano | Piano | 4 |
| George Ohtsuka | Drums | 3 |
| Tetsujiro Obara | Drums | 3 |
| Motohiko Hino | Drums | 3 |
| Akira Shiomoto | Guitar | 3 |
| Yoriyuki Harada | Piano | 3 |
| Tsuyoshi Yamamoto | Piano | 2 |
| Kazumi Watanabe | Guitar | 2 |
| Kazumi Watanabe | Electric Guitar | 2 |
| Billy Higgins | Drums | 2 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Shungo Sawada | Guitar | 12 |
| Akira Nakano | Trumpet | 11 |
| Hidehiko Matsumoto | Tenor Saxophone | 10 |
| Seiji Hiraoka | Vibraphone | 10 |
| Akira Ishikawa | Drums | 6 |
| Hachidai Nakamura | Piano | 6 |
| Takeshi Onodera | Percussion | 5 |
| Motohiko Hino | Drums | 5 |
| Mal Waldron | Piano | 5 |
| Kazumi Watanabe | Guitar | 5 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Various | Leader | 12 |
| Motohiko Takawa | Producer | 10 |
| Ace 7 | Leader | 9 |
| Takeshi Fujii | Producer | 7 |
| Takao Suga | Engineer [Assistant] | 6 |
| Ben Nishizawa | Art Direction | 6 |
| Kiyoshi Itoh | Producer | 5 |
| Mal Waldron | Leader | 5 |
| Shoichi Yui | Liner Notes | 4 |
| Toshinari Koinuma | Executive-Producer | 4 |
Discography
Total: 111 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers | At The Jazz Workshop 1970 | Gearbox Records | Sideman | Hard Bop | 2023 |
| Yusuke Ogawa | Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol.II (Deep, Heavy And Beautiful Jazz From Japan) (1962-1985) (The King Records Masters) | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Isao Suzuki | Final Recordings | Pit Inn | Leader | 2022 | |
| Isao Suzuki Quartet | Blue Road | Days Of Delight | Sideman | Fusion | 2022 |
| Noriko Miyamoto | プッシュ / やりかけの人生 | Clinck Records | Sideman | 2019 | |
| Steruss | 尖 | ZZ Production | Sideman | 2017 | |
| Guts | Pura Vida Presents: Beach Diggin' Volume 4 | - | Sideman | 2016 | |
| Isao Suzuki | Plays "Ave Maria" | King Records | Leader | 2015 | |
| レッド・ミッチェル* | Bass Club = ベース・クラブ | - | Sideman | 2015 | |
| Isao Suzuki, DJ Kensei | New Alchemy | Rings | Leader | Abstract | 2014 |
| DJ Sunshine | Japanese Sunday Soul - Volume 1 | JSS | Leader | AOR | 2014 |
| Isao Suzuki, Killer Bong | Killer-Oma | Black Smoker Records | Leader | Avant-garde Jazz | 2012 |
| Isao Suzuki, Isao Nishikawa, Kazuya gacha Uechi | Spiral Talk | Off Note | Leader | Free Improvisation | 2011 |
| Isao Suzuki, Yoriyuki Harada | Zun-Bararin [一刀両断] | Off Note | Leader | Free Improvisation | 2010 |
| Isao Suzuki, Yoriyuki Harada, Tristan Honsinger | Dokoku | Off Note | Leader | Free Jazz | 2010 |
| DJ Hatamototaikutsuotoko | 日本音楽大全集 / Jap's Various Artists | Bond International | Sideman | Soundtrack | 2008 |
| Steruss | 円鋭 | Lockstock | Sideman | 2008 | |
| Isao Suzuki, 纐纈雅代 | Solitude | CS Record | Leader | 2008 | |
| Steruss | ソラノウタ | Lockstock | Sideman | 2007 | |
| DJ Takumi | Time And Space | Sakura Production | Sideman | 2006 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Jazz | 22 | 15.7% |
| Jazz-Funk | 16 | 11.4% |
| Fusion | 15 | 10.7% |
| Post Bop | 14 | 10% |
| Modal | 9 | 6.4% |
| Free Jazz | 9 | 6.4% |
| Hard Bop | 9 | 6.4% |
| Latin Jazz | 6 | 4.3% |
| Easy Listening | 5 | 3.6% |
| Vocal | 4 | 2.9% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 100 | 71.4% |
| Funk / Soul | 9 | 6.4% |
| Electronic | 7 | 5% |
| Stage & Screen | 6 | 4.3% |
| Pop | 6 | 4.3% |
| Hip Hop | 6 | 4.3% |
| Latin | 3 | 2.1% |
| Classical | 2 | 1.4% |
| Non-Music | 2 | 1.4% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 2 | 1.4% |