Casiopea

Casiopea/カシオペア is a Japanese jazz fusion band that was formed in 1976 by guitarist Issei Noro and bassist Tetsuo Sakurai. In 1977, keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya and drummer Takashi Sasaki joined the group. The group debuted with the album Casiopea in 1979, and 30 albums or more have since been released. In 1980, the drummer seat is replaced by 神保彰/Akira Jimbo.

The album Eyes of the Mind was released in the United States in 1981. They then released the album Mint Jams in 1982, followed by Four by Four in the same year, which is a collaborative album with some of Fourplay members including Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, Nathan East and Don Grusin. Their first foreign concert was held in the United Kingdom in 1983. The group has toured Europe, South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia.