Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 92 - Real Summer is Coming! Say Hello to Some Brazilian Artists in This Review! Japanese Musicians of Samba/Bossa Nova, Part VI

Yoshitaka Minami, a J-pop Artist in the Bossa Nova Genre - Vol. 1

The albums you must hear in Summer! A special feature on Samba and Bossa Nova, examining the great albums and songs of this genre by composers and performers, and other related topics.
Continuing from the previous article, we will be looking at Japanese musicians who create music using Brazilian music such as bossa nova and samba. This time, we will be looking at Yoshitaka Minami.

A Singer-Songwriter with Close Ties to Brazil

When we think of Yoshitaka Minami, older people will probably think of “Monroe Walk”.
Hiroki Go made a big hit of the same song in 1979 under a different title, “Sexy You”.
The song was written by Yoshitaka Minami, with lyrics by Etsuko Kisugi. The beginning of Kisugi's song seems to have been inspired by The Girl From Ipanema, and it brings to mind the Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro. The lyrics say “with a step from around Jamaica...”, but if it's Jamaica, it would be reggae, so I wonder what that step would be like (lol).
Minami became known for his song “Sexy You”, but he also wrote many songs with a Brazilian origin on his early albums.
Tsukiyo No Ban Niwa”, from his second album “Wasurerareta Natsu” (1976), which I introduced in my article Vagabond Synth Nerd's Journal, is a wonderful song based on samba. The song ‘Hizuke Henkou Sen’ from his album “SOUTH OF THE BORDER” (1978) is also a typical bossa nova classic.
I think that his voice matches Brazilian-style music, but you can also see that he is inspired by Brazilian-derived music such as samba and bossa nova.
I think that what makes Yoshitaka Minami is that he doesn't just copy the music, but brings something new to it.

■ Recommended album: Yoshitaka Minami “Dokoka Toku e” (1991)

Yoshitaka Minami's 14th album, based on the theme of a wandering man's heart. It features guest appearances by T-SQUARE saxophonist Takeshi Itoh, PSY・S vocalist CHAKA, Seishiro Kusunose, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and others. A varied album.
The songs on this album, which also feature bossa nova and samba, really shine.

Recommended track: ‘’Monte Carlo Samba”

I'm convinced that this is the best song on the album. It's led by a mysterious percussive synth, and the impressive strings and bass phrases overlap. I think the production in this area is down to the sensibility of the arranger, Akihiko Matsumoto. The title is “Monte Carlo Samba”, but it's more like bossa nova than samba.
The fate of a love story set in a casino in Monte Carlo is colored by a fantastic gut guitar-ish sound. The melody that wears a major seventh chord in the B-melody is beautiful, and the phrase in the bridge part of the song is also wonderful. And the chorus is very pop! The song is full of musical tricks that enhance the music. The scat in the outro part, which is full of saudade, is also great, and I think that only Mr. Minami can create a song with such depth.

■ Recommended album: Yoshitaka Minami “Nude Voice” (2001)

A collection of jazz standard covers by Yoshitaka Minami. The arrangements and production are by Youichi Murata (tb), who is the musical director of the Sadao Watanabe Orchestra.
First-call Japanese jazz musicians such as Ponta Box, the Tropical Jazz Big Band and Kazumi Watanabe participate in this album.

Recommended track: ‘My Funny Valentine’

Youichi Murata has arranged a jazz standard with a bossa nova touch. The guitarist is Yoshiro Nakamura, the maestro of Japanese bossa nova, who was introduced in Vagabond Synth Nerd's Journal 90 and 91, playing a gut guitar. The smooth timbre and sense of time are one and only.
In addition, the trombone solo by Youichi Murata and the brass ensemble that supports the low range deepen the shadows of the music. Murata's piano solo! is also worth listening to.

Recommended track: ‘The Gift & The Gift’ (demo version)

This is a famous bossa nova song that was a hit when sung by Eydie Gormé, and is also known as “Ricardo Bossa Nova”.
This song is also a popular song, and has been taken up by jazz musicians.
The chanson-style arrangement is by Youichi Murata (tb). Minami has a good affinity with songs with a hint of darkness, and his expressive power is reflected well in the music. Murata plays the piano here, too.

■ Recommended album: Yoshitaka Minami “Blue Nude” (2002)

Yoshitaka Minami's “Nude Series” continues from his previous album. While the previous album was jazz, this album is a collection of bossa nova covers.
The cover features a cutout from the Jazz Series of late masterpieces by French artist Henri Matisse.
The artwork, which evokes summer, is excellent. It is a perfect match for the album theme of “Blue Nude”.
Ponta Shuichi Murakami, Masahiro Sayama, Choro Club, Bread & Butter, and others participate.
The classic song “Midnight Love Call” with lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto has also been revived with a bossa nova touch.

Recommended track: ‘So Nice’ (Summer Samba)

This is a track from Walter Wanderley's hit album “Rain Forest”. Like the previous track, this one was also arranged by Youichi Murata.
The members include the luxurious line-up of Ponta Murakami on drums and Masahiro Sayama on piano.
Masahiro Sayama's acoustic piano brings out the contours of the song, and Shinpei Inoue's flute solo doubles the tempo. After that, there is a saudade-like melody with female scat.
Youichi Murata's brilliant arrangement creates a resort atmosphere.

Musicians, albums, and recommendations featured in this issue

• Artists: Yoshitaka Minami, Youichi Murata, etc.
• Album: “Dokoka Toku e”, “Nude Voice”, “Blue Nude”
• Song titles: ‘Monte Carlo Samba’, ‘My Funny Valentine’, ‘The Gift’, ‘Summer Samba’

⇨ Pianos / Synthesizers

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