Newish Japanese Bossa Nova & Sophistipop [non-Shibuya-Kei]

Not the FPM/P5 variety...

I've been digging into this lately. Recently discovered a whole world of this stuff now with plenty of 00s acts.

NP: Saigenji - La Puerta

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41P8B8BRnQL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

I think the obvious big act of this is Lisa Ono, although she does have one too many trad songbook/straight ahead stuff...I've gotten 3 albums of her stuff now that do have plenty of gems.

Her 2003 album in Frech (Dan mon ile) is a great example. Especially the song "Ele lui nous".

She did a fairly sttraight ahead Jazz (in that Sophistipop way) cover of C'est si bon on that album:

When I first investigated Saigenji beyond one comp I had, I discovered this:

Saigenji - Golden Lady (Stevie Wonder cover)

As I posted on my 1p3 bog, Tomita Lab was a compilation discovery whose albums I've yet to get a hold of, but found plenty of youtube clips:

Tomita Lab - Nemuri no Mori feat. Hanaregumi

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I guess Tomita is the best Japanese arranger, who has been influenced by Claus Ogerman. He appears in this clip, sitting at the table across from the singer.

Talk about the heart of a Sophistipop revival: Paris Match is a group named after a Style Council song, covering The Blow monkeys, in a style reminiscent of Swing Out Sister's Ray Hayden produced 1994 album.

Paris Match - Digging Your Scene

Aside from a decade long recommendation to check out Lisa Ono, what got me into this was getting the 2005 compilation "Tokyo Bossa Nova Madeira" on a whim.

I discovered it was a series after of compilations shortly after. Working on getting those now.

Also on a separate whim, got Tokyo Cafe, which was mostly Sophistipop revival stuff, with a great deal of stylistic overlap.

Lastfm recommended Port of Notes, which I found a remix & rarites album I'm about to dive into. Skimming it proved some good material on there, but can't truly vouch yet.

As generic as this album looks, this 2003 comp is full of very original stuff that's in the heart of this scene:

Felicidade: A Tribute to João Gilberto

http://storage.kanshin.com/free/img_10/105358/236736138.jpg

1. Voce E Eu/ Ann Sally
2. P'RA MACHUCAR MEU CORACAO/ kazufumi Miyazawa
3. ADEUS AMERICA/ DOIS MAPAS
4. DANCARINO DA ESTRELA/ AURORA
5. CORCOVADO
6. GAROTA DE IPANEMA/ SAIGENJI
7. VALSA
8. / THE BOOM
9. BESAME MUCHO/ Miyuki Hatakeyama
10. IZAURA/ NAOMI AND GORO
11. HO-BA-LA-LA/ KAMA AINA
12. EU SEI QUE VOU TE AMAR-CORDEIRO DE NANA/ CHORO AZUL
13. ESTATE/ Yoshiro Nakamura
14. BIM BOM-MINHA SAUDADE/ SO ALEGRIA

Another I picked up recently that was way more than I expected was Tetsuo Sakurai's 2003 album Cartas Do Brasil.

Features some major players of Brasil's MPB roster.

http://image.libro.co.kr/music/f75/f75sizeSakurai%20Cover.jpg

1. Elisa (Ft Ivan Lins) (Alisa)
2. Cancao Do Coracao (Ft Rosa Passos) (Hatsuzekku)
3. Real (Ft Djavan)
4. Venus (Ft Tatiana) (Venus)
5. Com A Paz No Coracao (Ft Filo Machado) (I Feel You In My Heart)
6. A Estrela Namorada (Ft Valeria Oliveira)
7. Suadade De Voce (Ft Ivan Lins) (I Miss You)
8. Navegando Sozinho (Ft Filo Manchado) (Sailing Alone)
9. La Madrugada (Ft Nora) (Daybreak)
10. Sonho De Verao (Ft Tatiana) (Pastel Sea)
11. Tempo Da Ilusao (Ft Valeria Oliveira) (Tha Last Scene)

Tomita Lab is absolutely splendid. Both albums. I wonder if he plans to release another.

Check out Taeko Ohnuki's album from '77 called 'Sunshower'. One of my favorites.

^^^ wishlisted. Thanks!!

should point out this lastfm group has several of these artists listed as connected:

http://www.last.fm/group/Japanese+Jazz

I have nothing to add to this thread, but A++ keep at it.

Tomita Lab is absolutely splendid. Both albums. I wonder if he plans to release another.

― Patrick South, Saturday, January 10, 2009 3:10 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark

I'm just now digging into his 2003 album. HI DERE JAPANESE STEELY DAN!

Checking out youtube clips also:

damn Pappa this is the snap

i've been really into it, that's for sure.

i imagine too aor/mor for most though.

glad a couple people here other than me are feeling some of this!

lovin the "Golden Lady" cover

i actually got Saigenji's Innocencia 2003 album earlier tonight, where golden lady is from.

beautiful 6/8, accordion driven song on there has become song of the day (Spring Waltz [for Little Swingin' Canary])

i was secretly hoping it'd be a cover of the price is right edd kalehoff queue music. it was not.

a list of the tokyo bossa nova compilations and tracklisting

http://www.happiness-records.com/frame_compilation.html

jesus christ the tomita lab is blediculous. is that takahashi in the second youtube clip?

patrick or pappa, if either could bless me with this stuff i would be of eternal debt

bangelo at jazzinfection dot com

Yep--it's Takahashi and Taeko Ohnuki.

I can upload them and send them your way.

Re: Tomita - I got Shipbuilding, but still have yet to get Shiplaunching. Patrick's recommendation has me waiting with baited breath. Shipbuilding has some great moments on it.

Working on investigating Noa Noa/Benbossa now, thanks to having gotten a couple more off the Tokyo Bossa comps:

http://www.noanoa.jp/

Unfortunately, anything labeled Noa Noa and Benbossa on Youtube has nothing to do with this.

PappaWheelie, I sent Bangelo Shipbuilding. Want me to send both of you Shiplaunching?

It would be GREATLY appreciated Patrick!

PappaWheelie1 at gmail

I will gladly send anything you request in return.

I got both of these from the Tokyo Cafe: Smooth Sensitive Relaxing compilation

Keyco - Tsuki To Taiyou

Miyuki Hatakeyama - Umi ga hoshii noni

re: Tokyo Cafe: Smooth Sensitive Relaxing compilation

I wish there was a youtube result for:

yasuyuki horigome, miyuki hatakeyama, hanaregumi - mafuyu monogatari

great song

The comp also has Lisa Ono, Tomita Lab, Bird, etc

Also fell in love with the busy Tomita remix (er, more like cover) of FPM's Why Not? Stevie Wonder synths abound.

patrick- deepest thanks for both. am starting to listen to Shipbuilding now and not disappointed. in fact probably the best thing I've heard in a long, long while

and as someone for whom the works of mssrs becker and fagen are sort of a religious text this is doubly fascinating. they should all have lunch and see what happens

Do you have any sense of how blown-up this guy is in Japan? I know that this kind of flawless studio production still can't come cheap and I'd imagine that you'd have to be moving some records to sustain that, unless the music scene there is still running at a US 70's level, which i'm totally fine with

ILX Samba fans, who loves ya baby?!

ooh thanks!

I may post another, should it be appreciated...

^^^ the Naomi & Goro track on that has caused me to seek further:

http://www.last.fm/music/Naomi%2B%2526%2BGoro

I probably will begin the hunt for albums very soon. Will post when found.

pecombo, too. serious echoes of quarteto em cy there.

http://www.last.fm/music/pecombo

Pecombo - chanson des jumelles

Pecombo - aguas de marco

Pecombo - Comme D'habitude

Any Orange Pekoe fans here?

someone just posted this over on dreamchimney

The Immigrant's Bossa Band song I have form Tokyo Bossa Nova Madeira comp was kind eh. More in the Latin Acid Jazz vein, ala early Fez Combo or Soul Bossa Trio stuff. I hadn't prioritized getting more if it was like that.

This video is great. It helps put them into a better context and helps my prioritizing getting more.

Thanks jaxon.

Thanks, this thread has introduced me to some cool stuff!

PW, that zip you put together is completely dope btw

I was wondering...

I'm constructing part 2 now.

Can Naomi & Goro do any wrong?

I just found 'Santa on a Surfboard' (from Presente de natal ~bossa nova christmas~), and despite xmas, it's as good of a Bossa as anything else they've done.

Trying to get their album 'PS I Forgot'.

Cinnabom

Rie Tanaka - Kiss kara hajimaru Miracle (Jazz version)

i like a lot of the soul bossa trio stuff actually and there's this lp i have by spiritual vibes which is breezy sorta bossa nova stuff. i guess it's Nobukazu Takemura's old project?

Just discovered MAKE

MAKE - Tada Itoshii

MAKE Interview (in English)

xp - I do like some of Soul Bossa Trio, especially the vocal version of "Andei, Andei"

God, it's become a deluge of this stuff

Sustained Affection - IBB

(oh, just realized IBB = Immigrant's Bossa Band)

Olivia Ong from Singapore was today's surprise discovery.

She put out "A Girl Meets Bossa" in 2005, and part II in 2006.

Need to check out Ann Sally further too.

The act listed as "F to G" on a Tokyo Bossa Nova comp is actually Filó Machado and Guennoshin.

Filó Machado is a veteran Brazilian guitarist/singer, and Guennoshin is a Japanese percussionist. They did an album called F to G in 2003.

This blog hosts the entire album, which is fantastic.

Filó Machado and Saigenji also have collaborated, but haven't tracked down more than 1 song yet.

Can Saigenji do any wrong?

Be the Voice is proving to have some high points in their discography

Michael Jackson cover:

Ego-Wrappin' have quite the catalog.

http://www1.ttcn.ne.jp/~jilosetsu/worldstandard.jpg

World Standard 04 - A Tatsuo Sunaga Live Mix

^^ Good primer mix I found. Numerous acts included I've yet to check out.

Will check out the rest in the series.

Better still, the site I got that photo from is chocked full of intersting finds:

http://www1.ttcn.ne.jp/~jilosetsu/disco04.htm

does ino hidefumi deserve a mention here?

i really like him, maybe too money mark-ish for this thread, though

y/n?

Not in the bossa heart of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if something like that turned up on one of these comps.

Lamp:
http://minipopcube.blogspot.com/2010/03/lamp.html

Oh shit, this thread is a goldmine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqnjBhfNZz4

I imagine most people remotely interested will have already heard this, but this song just bubbled up at me while I was listening to Adult. It really is a gem.

Tokyo Jihen - Keshou Naoshi

Sorry if this is too Shibuya-Kei but it is pretty funny and catchy, brought to you by Konishi Yasuharu (ex-P5) & inspired by classic J-Pop legend Tsutsumi Kyohei.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmH34mbJjcw

Shoot, I thought this was the official MV, it's here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_7NrSqmIE
ざんね～ん！！ ¯\_( ͡ - ͜ʖ ͡-)_/¯

NHK Lisa Ono concert

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2045024/