Yoshiaki Masuo - Winds of Barcelona (2014)

Guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo was only 22 years old when he recorded Winds of Barcelona, his first leader album, in 1969. He had been discovered by the Japanese jazz giant Sadao Watanabe, and had been a member of Watanabe's group for over a year. Masuo, and the fresh, new kind of jazz -- sometimes referred to as "pop jazz" -- was immensely popular at the time.
In Masuo's guitar sound and style, one can hear an unmistakable influence of Wes Montgomery ("One For Wes") and folk music sensibilities ("Scarborough Fair"). Masuo creates a pastel-like sound palette with his band that includes flute, Latin percussions, vibraphone and marimba. This is a fresh, creative first album of an important artist.