Mototeru Takagi

Mototeru Takagi (高木元輝) (28 December 1941 – December 2002) was a Japanese tenor saxophone player, known for playing in a distinctive and powerful free jazz style. He played with many of the most important Japanese free groups and musicians during the seventies, such as ESSG and those of Masahiko Togashi, Motoharu Yoshizawa and Masayuki Takayanagi.

Takagi was born in Osaka in 1941, but grew up in Yokohama. During his younger years, he spent time in the bands of players like Charlie Ishiguro and Hisashi Sakurai, but only really began developing his distinctive free style when he joined the Motoharu Yoshizawa Trio in 1968. The following year he joined Togashi's Quartet and ESSG. After Togashi's accident, Takagi played briefly with Masayuki Takayangi's New Direction Unit and in a duo with percussionist Sabu Toyozumi. From November 1973 he spent one year playing in France, returning to Japan in November 1974.
Takagi recorded very few albums as a leader over the course of his career, but he was highly valued as a collaborator by many Japanese jazz, rock and avant-garde musicians.

We Now Create, w/ Masahiko Togashi Quartet (Victor, 1969)

Deep Sea/Abyss Duo 1969 (Shinkai), w/ Motoharu Yoshizawa (PSF, 1994; recorded 1969)

If Ocean Is Broken w/ Sabu Toyozumi (Qbico, 2006; recorded 1970)

Isolation, w/ Masahiko Togashi (Columbia, 1971; recorded 1969)

Speed & Space, w/ Masahiko Togashi Quartet (Union, 1969)

Call in Question, w/ Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction (PSF, 1993; recorded 1970)

V.A., 2 to 10 Saxophone Adventure (Phillips, 1970)

V.A., Sensational Jazz '70 (Columbia, 1970)

Come back to Foster, w/ 1864 Cotton Field Rock Band (Victor, 1970)

Amalgamation (Kokotsu no Showa Genroku), w/ Masahiko Sato & Soundbreakers (Liberty, 1971)

V.A., Genya (Soseki, 1971)

V.A., Inspiration & Power 14 (1973)

Jazz a Maison du Japon Paris, w/ Kako Quartet (1974)

Origination, w/ Toshiyuki Tsuchitori (ALM, 1975)

Mothra Freight! (Interval, 1975)

Waterweed, w/ Sabu Toyozumi (1975)

Story of Wind Behind Left, w/ Masahiko Togashi Quartet (Columbia, 1975)

Meditation Among Us, w/ Milford Graves et al. (Kitty, 1976)

Concrete Voices, w/ EEU (1977)

Talking about Fussa, w/ King Kong Paradise (Tam, 1977)

Duo & Trio, w/ Derek Bailey et al. (Kitty, 1978)

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