[SACD-R][OF] Mari Nakamoto - Unforgettable - 1973/2006 (Jazz)

Mari Nakamoto (vocal)
Yasuro Osawa (piano)
Shoji Yokouchi (guitar)
Kunimitsu Inaba (bass)
Tetsujiro Obara (drums)
Akira Miyazawa (flute,tenor sax)

Originally 3 Blind Mice 21 (1973). Produced by Takeshi Fujii. Recorded on September 12 & 14, 1973.

While the rest of the world mostly made over-engineered, synthetic sounding recordings in the 70`s, TBM made natural sounding records, rich of colour, with good soundstage & imaging, air for the instruments to breath, dynamic & brilliant. So, the best of them have been hits within the audiophile community for decades.
On this disc Mari Nakamoto sings some standards & less known material & her interpretations rise the goose-pimples every time I listen to e.g. Time After Time, Blue Prelude, Sneakin Up On You or Please Send Me Someone To Love. Seems the Japanese have invented the Blues. She has a raucous, rough but energetic voice that I like & her rhythm-mates Kunimitsu Inaba on bass & Tetsujiro Obara on drums bear any comparison to the best American colleagues, playing skilful, precisely & with a lot of feeling. The other musicians do a perfect job here as well. Paper sleeve, LP-like cover.

Audiophile label Three Blind Mice should be credited for discovering new talents & often giving them the chance to record for the 1st time. A young singer Mari Nakamoto, who was 26 when she made this debut album in 1973, was among them. Having studied voice at a music college, Nakamoto had sung professionally for a few years before turning to jazz. On this 1st album she is accompanied by pianist Yasuro Osawa & guitarist Shoji Yokouchi with whom she worked regularly at clubs at that time. Showing the promise of great things to come, Nakamoto exhibited many of her wonderful talents in this album: a husky, soulful voice, good enunciation & interpretation of lyrics, & a unique singing style with strong blues feeling. This is a very impressive, smokey jazz vocal album. One would not forget her easily after listening to it.