BrazilOnGuitar says: On 26th September 1970 the Baden Powell Quartet visited Japan for the first time. On 3 October they performed a show at the 2nd Newport Jazz festival. And starring at "Music Fair" (Fuji TV) and "Night Show" (NHK TV). On 5-6 October Baden plays at the Sankai Hall in Tokyo. On 2 November, Baden recorded Manha de Carneval and Itsuki no Komoriuta at King Record Studio. On 9 November, he left Japan and headed to Germany, the next stop to continue his concert tour. The record Live in Japan represents a live recording of the concert program the Quartet was going to play during their following tour in Europe. They played an early version of "Abracao em Madrid", an improvised "Batuque in B - Berimbau", "Formosa" and also other ones.

Only three tracks (*) of this great concert were released on CD in 2003. An uncut recording of this concert in Japan is long overdue, but unfortunately not to expect. The Japanese first pressing was released January 1971 and very carefully done - Made in Japan.

This record "Live in Japan" was also released 1972 under the wrong title "Face au public - Live at the Olympia" and 1973 as "Gravado ao vivo em Paris" with "Euridice" wrongly titled as "Folha Morta" or "Lenda do Abaete": the beginning of an erronous track-list, that found its way into the sampler O Universo Musical de Baden Powell from 2003.

Extrait of the Conversation between Baden and Oshima Mamoru.
BP: Do you know where I can rent a bicycle?
OM: It's very dangerous to ride a bicycle in Tokyo. There is a bicycle course in Miura peninsula.
BP: You may think it is very strange, but I was a bicycle racer before. I tried to be No. 1 racer in Brazil, but I became a musician.

Baden Powell was always drinking "on the rock (double) of Johnny Walker Black Label. Mr. Oshima brought Baden to a traditional Japanese restaurant. There were some Geisha and one of them was playing Koto. Baden changed the tuning of Koto and played it like a Hawaiian guitar. All of Geisha girls were surprised with his strange and tremendous technique.

October "2nd Newport Jazz Festival" held (1st-10th): Thelonious Monk, Carmen McRae, Woody Herman, Baden Powell, Masabumi Kikuchi Trio, Sadao Watanabe, Toshiyuki Miyama and New Hard, Nobuo Hara and Sharps Flats, Tadaaki Misago and Tokyo Cuban Boys

October 3: Newport Jazz Festival in Tokyo "The Longest Night in Tokyo" (Sankei Hall, Tokyo): Sakao Watanabe, Kosuke Mine, Terumasa Hino, Akio Nishimura, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Sato, Shungo Sawada, Yoshiaki Masuo, Masanaga Harada, George Otsuka, Midnight Jam Session (performed by Thelonious Monk and others), Baden Powell Trio.

On October 5, they performed "The Newport Jazz Festival in Tokyo Latin + Bossa Nova". (Sankei Hall, Tokyo): Baden Powell Quartet, Sadao Watanabe starring Tadaaki Misago and Tokyo Cuban Boys.

We thank Robert G. for his translation and Yoshioka Shinichi for his detailed informations. A special thank to François Decker (son of Jacqueline François) for his generous gift of the Test-LP Face au public. We also thanks Marc from Australia for his tireless work documenting Baden Powell's time and work in Japan.