Casiopea "Casiopea" (1980) -Jazz Fusion-

Label : Alfa Records, Inc.

 Side 1

01 - Time Limit (Issei Noro)

02 - Tears Of The Star (Issei Noro)

03 - Space Road (Issei Noro)

04 - Midnight Rendezvous (Issei Noro)

Side 2

01 - Far Away (Issei Noro)

02 - Swallow (Issei Noro)

03 - Dream Hill (Issei Noro)

04 - Black Joke (Issei Noro)

Casiopea :

Issei Noro : Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Vocal

Mindru Mukaiya : Electric & Acoustic Piano, Synthesizers, Yamaha EX-1, Vibe

Tetsuo Sakurai : Electric Bass

Takashi Sasaki : Drums

Horns :

Randy Brecker : Trumpet

Michael Brecker : Tenor Sax

David Sanborn : Alto Sax

Strings : 'Tomato' Strings

All Tunes Written & Arranged by Issei Noro except Horns Arranged by Jan Fukamachi & Strings Arranged by Hiroki Inui

Recorded at Studio 'A', Shibaura, Tokyo from December 1978 to March 1979

Recording Engineers for Basic Tracks : Al Schmitt, Norio Yoshizawa, Yasuhiko Terada

Assistant Engineer : Mitsuo Koike

Horns Recorded at Power Station Studio, N.Y. on February 10, 1979, Directed by Jun Fukamachi

Recording Engineer : Neil Dorfsman

Assistant Engineer : James Farber

Mixed at Studio 'A', Shibaura, Tokyo, March 1979

Mixing Engineer : Yasuhiko Terada

Casiopea "Sun Sun" (2000) -Smooth Jazz / Jazz Fusion / Pop Rock-

Label : Alfa Music Inc.

 01 - Conjunction (Issei Noro)

02 - Coast To Coast (Issei Noro)

03 - Keepers (Issei Noro)

04 - Lunar Shade (Issei Noro)

05 - Sun (Issei Noro & Carlos Alomar)

06 - After Glow (Akira Jimbo)

07 - Mr. Unique (Issei Noro)

08 - Samba Maria (Minoru Mukaiya)

09 - Departure (Akira Jimbo)

10 - Someone's Love (Issei Noro & Carlos Alomar)

11 - Mi Señora (Tetsuo Sakurai)

12 - Somethings Wrong (Change It) (Akira Jimbo & Carlos Alomar)

13 - Transformation 1 (Minoru Mukaiya)

14 - Planetoid ~ Mother Earth (Issei Noro & Carlos Alomar)

Casiopea :

Issei Noro : Electric Guitar

Minoru Mukaiya : Keyboards

Tetsuo Sakurai : Electric Bass

Akira Jimbo : Drums

Additional Musicians :

Lead vocal on "Somethings Wrong (Change It)" : John Waite

Lead vocal on "Sun" : Frank Simms

Background vocals on "Someone's Love" & "Conjunction" : Diva Grey, Vivian Cherry & Leatrice Griffin

Background vocals on "Sun" & "Somethings Wrong (Change It)" : Casiopea

Horns by Borneo Horns

Alto Sax : Stan Harrison

Tenor Sax : Lenny Pickett

Tenor & Baritone Sax : Steve Elson

Also

Trumpet : Earl Gardner

Horn Arrangements by Lenny Pickett

Latin Percussion : Pablo Rosario

Brazilian Percussion on "Samba Maria" : Guilmerue Franco & Marcio Sapel

Produced by Carlos Alomar

Co-Produced by Issei Noro (Casiopea)

Engineer : Andy Heermans (Mia Productions)

Assistant Engineers : Victor Deyglio (The Hit Factory)

Lance Mcvickar, Tim Reppert (Soundtrack)

Sound Adviser : Shun Miyazumi

A&R Co-ordinators : Masato Ari (A.D.O.) & Toshikazu Awano (Alfa)

Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York from June 8th to June 29th, 1986

Re-Mixed at Soundtrack, New York from July 1st to July 6th, 1986

Mastering : Howie Weinberg at Master Disk, New York

Casiopea "Eyes Of The Mind" (1981) -Smooth Jazz / Jazz Funk-

Label : Alfa Records, Inc.

 Side 1

01 - Asayake (Sunrise) (Issei Noro)

02 - A Place In The Sun (Dave Boruff)

03 - Take Me (Issei Noro)

04 - Lakai (Harvey Mason & Bob James)

05 - Eyes Of The Mind (Issei Noro)

Side 2

01 - Black Joke (Issei Noro)

02 - La Costa (Intro) (Bob James)

03 - La Costa (Bob James)

04 - Magic Ray (Issei Noro)

05 - Space Road (Issei Noro)

Casiopea Band Members :

Issei Noro : Electric Guitar - Yamaha SG-2000 & SG-1000 Fretless

Tetsuo Sakurai : Bass - Yamaha BB-2000

Minoru Mukaiya : Keyboards - Fender Rhodes 73, Roland VP-330 Prophet 5, Yamaha GS-1, Mini Moog, Poly Moog, ARP 2600, Korg 800 DV, Korg Trident

Akira Jimbo : Drums - Yamaha YD-9000R

Guest Players :

Harvey Mason : Percussion

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Produced by Harvey Mason

Associate Producer : Kenny Mason

All Arrangements by Casiopea & Harvey Mason except "Space Road" Arranged by Kenny Mason

Synthesizer Arrangements for "Magic Ray", "Black Joke", "Take Me" by Bob James

Synthesizer Programming for "Magic Ray", "Black Joke", "Take Me" by Michael Boddicker

Recording & Mixing :

Engineer : Peter Chaikin

Assistant Engineer : Terry Moore

Recorded & Re-Mixed at Kendun Studio 'D', Los Angeles, California from december 4, 1980 to January 5, 1981

Issei Noro "Sweet Sphere" (1985) -City Pop / Jazz Funk-

Label : Invitation Records

 Side 1

01 - Bright Times (Issei Noro)
02 - The Message In The Night 'Smooth Romance' (Maxi Anderson & Issei Noro)
03 - In Our Way Of Life (Issei Noro)
04 - Transparency (Issei Noro)

Side 2

01 - You Can Do It (Kazu Matsui & Issei Noro)
02 - Moon Dance (Kazu Matsui & Issei Noro)
03 - Wishful Thinking (Issei Noro)

04 - Sweet Sphere 'A Light Blue Lullabye' (Jeff Day & Issei Noro)


Issei Noro : Electric Guitar (Yamaha Issei Model, Yamaha SG-2000 Fretless, Guitar Synthesizers) & Chorus
Patrice Rushen : Keyboards (Acoustic Piano, Fender Rhodes Piano, Yamaha DX-7) & Chorus
Robert Brooking : Keyboards (Yamaha DX-7, OB-Xa)
Randy Waldman : Keyboards (Yamaha DX-7, Oberheim Expander)
Nathan East : Electric Bass (Yamaha BX-1, Yamaha BB 5000) & Chorus
John 'JR' Robinson : Drums
Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion
Derek Nakamoto : Linn Drum (Digital Sequencer, Yamaha DX-7)

Maxi Anderson : Chorus

Marlena Jeter : Chorus

Philip Ingram : Vocal

Seawind Horn Section :

Larry Williams : Tenor Sax

Bill Reichenbach : Trombone & Baritone Sax

Jerry Hey : Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Gary Grant : Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Recorded by Peter Chaikin, Alan R. Hirschberg, Les Brockman
Assisted by David Koenig, Debbie Johnson
Mixed by Peter Chaikin at Studio Sound Records, North Hollywood, California
Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Produced, All Composed & Arranged by Issei Noro

Additional Horn Arranged by Larry Williams (01, 04 & 05) & Jerry Hey (03)

Side 1

01 - Bright Times

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Derek Nakamoto : Linn Drum

Seawind : Horns

02 - The Message In The Night 'Smooth Romance'

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Derek Nakamoto : Linn Drum & B. Progr.

Seawind : Horns

Philip Ingram : Vocal

Maxi Anderson & Marlena Jeter : Background Chorus

03 - In Our Way Of Life

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Seawind : Horns

Patrice Rushen & Issei Noro : Background Chorus

04 - Transparency

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Randy Waldman : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Derek Nakamoto : Linn Drum

Seawind : Horns

Nathan East : Background Chorus

Side 2

01 - You Can Do It

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Seawind : Horns

Patrice Rushen & Issei Noro : Background Chorus

02 - Moon Dance

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Maxi Anderson & Marlena Jeter : Background Chorus

03 - Wishful Thinking

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Robert Brookins : Keyboards

Randy Waldman : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

04 - Sweet Sphere 'A Light Blue Lullabye'

Issei Noro : Guitar

Patrice Rushen : Keyboards

Randy Waldman : Keyboards

Nathan East : Bass

John 'JR' Robinson : Drums

Paulinho Da Costa : Percussion

Philip Ingram : Vocal

Maxi Anderson & Marlena Jeter : Background Chorus

Casiopea "Zoom" (1984) -Jazz Fusion-

Label : Alfa Records

 Side 1

01 - Zoom (Issei Noro)

02 - Down Upbeat (Issei Noro)

03 - The Continental Way (Issei Noro)

04 - Road Rhythm (Minoru Mukaiya)

05 - Froufrou (Akira Jimbo)

Side 2

01 - Homestretch (Issei Noro)

02 - Nightstorm (Akira Jimbo)

03 - Cookin' Up (Minoru Mukaiya)

04 - Twilight Solitude (Issei Noro)

05 - Air Fantasy (Tetsuo Sakurai)

Produced by Shunsuke Miyazumi & Issei Noro

Engineering : Rik Pekkonen

Assisted by Warren Burleigh

Recorded at Secret Sound Studio, New York (July 24 - August 4, 1984)

Digital Technicians : John Rutherford, David Satz

Mastering : George Horn (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)

Issei Noro : Yamaha Electric Guitar, Yamaha SG-2000 Fretless

Minoru Mukaiya : Keyboards (Yamaha DX-1, DX-7 & Roland Vp-330)

Tetsuo Sakurai : Electric Bass (Yamaha BB-3000 5-Strings, Yamaha BB-2000)

Akira Jimbo : Drums (Yamaha YO-9000 RG, Simmons SDS-5, Zildjian Cymbals, Amdeck PCK-100)

Digital Drum Percussion Programming by Issei Noro & Minoru Mukaiya