

A special box set that collects all the key early albums from guitarist Osamu Kitajima – including a few rock moments too! First up is Shinchugoku – the earliest album we've ever seen from legendary guitarist Osamu Kitajima – a set that's a bit more pastoral and down to earth, as you might guess from its cover image! The work is a mellow take on folksy psych modes – electric and acoustic guitars mixed together on a set of songs that are hauntingly tuneful, with these evocative lyrics in Japanese that really fit the melodies – and which somehow have an appeal that goes way beyond the boundaries of language, thanks to a style that's expressive, but never overdone. A few tunes are a bit harder rocking, but the record's a pretty laidback affair overall – and titles include "Inchunfa", "Ronshuiko", "Tohoko", "Ketsumazuitemo", "Takai Takai Koanryo", and "Hyakusho Wa Tanoshi". Next is Benzaiten – a really unique project from guitarist Osamu Kitajima – a player you might know from his smoother fusion sets at the end of the 70s – but who works here in a very trippy blend of Japanese instrumentation and electric jazz! Kitajima handles a heck of a lot of strings – both acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and even the biwa – a Japanese style of lute, which appears to be electrified on the record. There's also work on hayashi-bue, narimono, and shakuhachi – other Japanese instruments folded into the album's mix of fuzz and keyboards – which are often used sparely, but in ways that bring a nicely psychedelic vibe to the album at times. Osamu vocalizes a bit – but mostly in ways that just go along with the music – and titles include "Benzaiten", "Tengu", "Whoma", and "Taiyo". The Osamu album follows – a set that's still got some of the exotic elements of his other material, but which also brings in a stronger fusion component too – mixing Kitajima's work on guitar and koto with plenty of Fender Rhodes and other great electric touches! The set was recorded in LA, and definitely has some warm Cali fusion elements – but Osamu also still hangs on to some "eastern" flavor with his own instrumentation – which is echoed by a bit of shakuhachi and nohkan by Tatsuya Sano. There's vocals on a few tracks, but they don't get in the way much, and with the cool banks of keyboards and nice drums, you hardly notice them at all! Sweet and breezy – in the best Japanese 70s fusion mode – and with tracks that include "Frost Flowers", "Elemental Spirits", and "Fur, Fin & Feather". Minnie Riperton also sings vocals on the track "Yesterday & Karma"! Masterless Samurai is a record that mixes together LA electric with some folksier elements, in the continuing exploration of cross cultural patterns that drifted across Kitajima's work from this time. The album's got a compelling blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation, and features work by players that include Clare Fischer, Victor Feldman, Stix Hooper, John Klemmer, and Bobby Hutcherson. Titles include "Floating Garden", "Wild Monk", "Golden Mean", and "Whoga". Dragon King is a great record from Osamu Kitajima – one of his most soulful ever! The record features some additional production and arrangements by Richard Evans – who takes Osamu's Japanese fusion style, and gives it a sparkling modern soul groove that's perfect for US audiences. In fact, Osamu's frequent use of eastern instrumentation – koto, biwa, and other instruments – works perfectly with the flair for the exotic that Evans always had during his years at Cadet. Includes the smooth stepper "Say You Will" with vocals by Phil Perry and Rena Scott – plus the tracks "Yamame", "Dragon King", "Willow Pattern", and "Share My Love". © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc.
(In a very cool cloth-covered box!)
We realize that there are many different interpretations of the standard grades used for pre-owned vinyl record albums & CD, so we thought we'd offer you the ones that we are working with, so you have an idea what we mean when we give the grade for a non-new item on our pages.
Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.
The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:
This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap. We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as "Sealed".
Dusty Groove does not use the grades of Near Mint (or Mint, for that matter) because in our experience, we find that no records ever qualify for such a high grade. Even sealed records tend to have one or two slight faults, enough to usually qualify them for a grade of NM- or lower. We've often found that records which are clearly unplayed will have a slight amount of surface noise, especially in quieter recordings.
This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A "Fair" record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as "Good", but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music. For records listed as "Fair", we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.
Like "Fair", we rarely list records in this condition, as they represent the extreme low end of spectrum. These records typically have multiple serious problems, and we offer them as "relics" or "objects" only — for those who want to at least have a copy of a record, even if it is not really worthy of play, perhaps for the cover alone. For these records, we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.
We have only one grade for non-new CDs at Dusty Groove — "Used CD". This grade is somewhat all-encompassing, but we choose it because we try to offer Used CDs in the best shape possible.
When you purchase a Used CD you can expect the disc to be free of all but the lightest of surface marks, the case to be clean (we often change the cases ourselves), and the booklet to be in good shape. Used CDs may show some signs of use but if there are significant details or defects we will list them underneath the item — just like we do with LPs — so look there for notes on cutout marks, stickers, promo stamps or other details.
All of our Used CDs are guaranteed to play without skipping or flaws. If you purchase a Used CD from Dusty Groove, you have 1 week to play it to determine that it plays correctly — and if it does not, then you may return it for a full refund.