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Casiopea (カシオペア, Kashiopea) is a Japanese jazz fusion band formed in 1976 by guitarist Issei Noro and bassist Tetsuo Sakurai. After lineup changes the following year that added keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya and drummer Takashi Sasaki, Casiopea made their major‑label debut with their self‑titled album in 1979, year in witch they started gaining attraction after winning the Yamaha eat-west competition in 1977 and traveling across japan for multiple live concerts, some in crucial stages for bands at the time like the Ronpoggi pit inn in 1979. That same year, the bands drummer Takashi Sasaki left over musical differences, and drummer Akira Jimbo joined in 1980. During this period, they released more than a dozen albums before Sakurai and Jimbo left the band amid disputes over concurrent band memberships. In 1990, bassist Yoshihro Naruse and drummer Masaaki Hiyama joined, resulting in a second era marked by multiple drummer changes, with Jimbo returning as a supporting member in 1997. Noro suspended all band activities in 2006, leading to a six-year hiatus. In 2012, the band resumed activities without Mukaiya rejoining and Kiyomi Otaka replacing him on keyboards. Renamed Casiopea 3rd for its third period, the group recorded its first album in eight years. After Jimbo left again in 2022, he was replaced by drummer Yoshinori Imai and the band entered its fourth period as Casiopea‑P4. Otaka left in 2025 and was replaced by keyboardist Jun Abe, and the band reverted to its original name.
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Reviews
Mint Jams is a fusion jazz album by Japanese band Casiopea. It is in default format the other Japanese bands also use for jazz and funk music: as clean, smooth and laidback as you can get. This leads to an album to which the average elevator and supermarket music seems adventurous. Thank god the album was over before I woke up.
This album was incredible! I could hear the origins of the soundtracks to some of my favourite Japanese media in this. I really enjoy the Japanese take on jazz and I think this is a great example of the clean and bright sounds you only get from Japanese jazz artists.
This fucking rips
There's been an influx of JPop/Jazz fusion LPs to the user list recently, and I'm all for it. Every one of these albums feels so nostalgically warm and effortless, yet contains meticulously crafted instrumentals that lock together like clockwork. Found myself getting lost in the twisting, labyrinthine bass lines and overall flow of the LP's own little world. These albums are always such a welcome escape, great add!
A japanese fusion essential. I’m a bit more partial to their debut but this one is always a good time
It was a really fun album, ridiculous at times but good. I will be looking into their other stuff
Jazzy fusions
This is some high-end Elevator Music
Like high-end elevator music.2 stars.