Casiopea-Thunder Live (1980)

Casiopea is a renowned Japanese jazz-rock band, highly praised worldwide, which has consistently released new albums for four decades, all of them well-received by fans of this jazz subgenre. The band was founded in 1976 by Issei Noro, the only constant member throughout Casiopea's history, and Tetsuo Sakurai, who were soon joined by Akira Jimbo and Minoru Mukaiya. In 1979, they released their self-titled debut album, which featured collaborations with American musicians Michael and Randy Brecker and David Sanborn. Their funk and rock influences, Latin rhythms, powerful percussion, dynamic yet melodic instrumental style, and the talent of the four musicians did not go unnoticed, and their albums were soon officially released in the United States and around the world. This first album was followed by other brilliant releases such as "Super Flight" (1979), "Make Up City" (1980), "Eyes of the Mind" (1981), "Mint Jams" (1982), and "Photographs" (1983), totaling nearly fifty albums, many of which reached high positions on the jazz charts in numerous countries. In 1980, they released the excellent live album "Thunder Live" (1980), a formidable showcase of the live performance of what is considered the most important group in the history of Japanese jazz-rock.