Naniwa Express

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 US 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 as well as multiple gigs in the 2010s and 2020s.

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)

      Tracklist:
          Believin	
          The Statue Of Liberty	
          Between The Sky And The Ground	
          Blue Willow	
          The Koya Samba	
          Field Athletor	
          For My Love

• Daiuchuhmugenryokushin (CBS/Sony, 1982)

      Tracklist:
          Red Zone	
          Image	
          Daiuchuhmugenryokushin	
          Marshall Arts	
          Spot	
          Jerome	
          9th Mountain High	
          Dawn

• Wind Up (CBS/Sony, 1983)

      Tracklist:
          Jasmin	
          Manhattan Express	
          Far Away	
          Shock Land	
          Mil' Mama	
          Back Lash	
          Seven Taste Cigar	
          Olino	
          Missing Moments

• Modern Beat (CBS/Sony, 1984)

      Tracklist:
          Inside Of You	
          Empty Corners	
          Oriental Making Love	
          Yellow Art	
          Emergency	
          Charcoal Break	
          K-Bone Shuffle	
          Perpetual Motion	
          Loving You, Sometimes Leaving You

• Silent Savanna (CBS/Sony, 1985)

      Tracklist:
          The Lady Of Toledo	
          Paradise	
          Boys Be Go Go
          Meteor	
          Animals
          Night Flower
          Hi-Land
          Lazy Fantasy
          Let Me Try

• life of music (Wave Flower, 2003)^[2]
• THIS is IT! (Wave Flower, 2004)^[3]
• Fresh Dude (Danger Crue, 2012)^[4]

Other releases

• Live at Nagoya Fukiage hall (video) (Sony, 1984)
• Scarlet Beam (compilation) (CBS/Sony, 1985)
• Believin' (single) (CBS/Sony, 1986)
• Red Zone SBM Best Selection (compilation) (Sony, 1993)
• Naniwa Express Box (compilation) (SMDR GT Music, 2007)