Tak Matsumoto "Hana"

Tak Matsumoto "Hana"

album cover

Tak Matsumoto
Hana
The Story
Championed in his homeland as the most renowned guitarist in all of Asia, Tak Matsumoto is equally revered as chief songwriter, guitarist and producer of the Japanese rock band, B'z. Counting a legacy of 12 albums, B'z truly means big business, having sold a combined 80 million units in Japan alone, not surprisingly making them Japan's best-selling band in history. 2002, in particular, served as a landmark year for Tak with the Japanese release of his much heralded instrumental albums, "Hana" and "Dragon From The West". "Hana", most noticeably, garnered rave reviews, its powerfully flowing melodies evocative of scenic horizons of the Orient. The album's bonus track, "Trinity," finds Tak stretching the boundaries of "rock" guitar, blending different tastes in the melodies while retaining the same distinctive Japanese spirit.
The Music
04:08 Koi-Uta Instrumental
03:53 Asian Sun Vocal
05:41 Hana Instrumental
04:26 Machi Instrumental
03:41 Midousuji Blue Instrumental
04:35 Red Sky Instrumental
03:27 Little Wing Instrumental
04:34 Romeo & Juliet Instrumental
01:15 Hallelujah Instrumental
04:42 Engaged Instrumental
04:36 You Know... Instrumental
01:35 2011 Instrumental
06:12 Trinity Instrumental
The Artists
Tak Matsumoto Guitars, Production, Arrangement
Akihito Tokunaga Bass, Arrangement
Chen Min Erhu
Maho Furukawa Chorus
Keiko Utoku Chorus
Hirotaka Izumi Acoustic Piano
Liou Chin-Ling Voice
Daisuki Ikeda Arrangement
Hideo Yamaki Drums
Vagabond Suzuki Bass
Akira Onozuka Acoustic Piano, Hammond B-3
Masayuki Nomura Engineering, Mixing
Steve Vai Mixing on Track 2
Asumi Narita Engineering Assistance
Satoshi Fukada Engineering Assistance
Taku Oyabe Engineering Assistance
Hideyuki Terachi Direction Assistance
Katsunori Hatakeyama Guitar Technician
Yoshiaki Sugiyama Photography
Norikazu Tatsukawa Photography
Recorded at Birdman West, Gardenia Studio, Redway Studio.

Mixed at Birdman West, Redway Studio, Harmony Hat Studio.

Strings by Shinozaki Strings and Hiiro Strings.

Executively produced by Vermillion and Be Maxy.

Art direction and design by Be Planning.

Hair and make-up by Yuka Mihara.

Sylist: Showko Suzuki.