Sachiko Nishida -- Tokyo Blues （東京ブルース）

Well, "NHK Kayo Concert" came back tonight after a few weeks off....perhaps on summer hiatus, and the theme for that show was "Dramatic Kayo". This time, the producers decided to take that theme and bring a bit of "Enka no Hanamichi"（演歌の花道） to the proceedings on the big Shibuya stage by having some of the performers play it up some on a set which was supposedly an intimate restaurant/bar (but looked more like a set-up in a food court). One of the performers covered an old song from 1964, "Tokyo Blues".

Sachiko Nishida（西田佐知子）, who was famous for "Coffee Rumba", that Latin-infused kayo from 1961, went more Mood Kayo/Big Band here. Written by Kaoru Mizuki（水木かおる） and composed by Hideyuki Fujiwara（藤原秀行）, "Tokyo Blues" has that nighttime downtown Tokyo feeling from way back led by that trumpet and Nishida's singing of how she can't help but be twisted around every paramour's finger. When I heard the song tonight, I got the feeling of those legendary jazz orchestras from the 40s with a featured female singer.

The song was released in January 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics. In reflection of that fact, using the word "Tokyo"for the titles of songs and for commercial products was the "in"thing.  "Tokyo Blues", in fact, was one of four songs with the metropolis' name to be featured in the 1964 Kohaku Utagassen. For Nishida, it was her 4th straight appearance in the New Year Eve's special.

Its nostalgic value was also not lost on the people of Studio Ghibli. The song was used during the animated feature "Omohide Poroporo"（おもひでぽろぽろ....Only Yesterday）, starring Miki Imai（今井美樹） back in 1991.

Here is an even jazzier version of the song by singer Kye Eunsook（桂銀淑）.