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.

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

• 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]

• 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)