https://mirror2.jazzofjapan.com/tags/akira-sekine/ Recent content in Akira Sekine on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory Hugo en Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://mirror2.jazzofjapan.com/miwo-tranquillo/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://mirror2.jazzofjapan.com/miwo-tranquillo/ <p>Jazz singer MIWO’s first album is entitled <em>Tranquillo</em> from 2020. This fifty-one-minute album delivers a sincere and straightforward set of twelve jazz standards perfectly suited to the leader’s modestly beautiful voice. <em>Tranquillo</em> was produced by mentor Hiroko Williams, a well-known jazz singer in her own right, and the result is an album with an authentic approach to vocal-focused jazz albums.</p> <figure><a href="L1240810x-1200.jpeg"> <img loading="lazy" src="L1240810x-1200.jpeg"/> </a> </figure> <p>While some decorative intros, endings, and arrangements are subtly attached, the performances follow the original music closely to respectfully elevate the original compositions and allow the immediately felt vocals to shine.</p> https://mirror2.jazzofjapan.com/ruriko-kawamura-blossoms/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://mirror2.jazzofjapan.com/ruriko-kawamura-blossoms/ <p>Vocalist Ruriko Kawamura released <em>Blossoms</em> in 2016, her second album following her 2011 debut record <em>Loo Loo</em>.</p> <figure><a href="L1220250-1024.jpg"> <img loading="lazy" src="L1220250-1024.jpg"/> </a> </figure> <p>The album is a relaxed tour through 11 varied tracks, all arranged by pianist Seiji Endo who backs up the vocalist throughout the disc. Six songs feature Kawamura singing as a duo with the pianist, and more color is added with violinist Noriko Satomi joining on three tracks and guitarist Akira Sekine joining on two others.</p>