Izumi Kobayashi & Flying Mimi Band -- ORANGE SKY－Endless Summer－

Considering that we folks in America, Canada and Japan are getting back to the rat race after our respective long weekends, the temperatures are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, perhaps at least some of us are wishing for the summer to miraculously return.

Probably not going to happen but maybe listening to this particular album can provide some seasonal salvation. This is the March 1978 release by singer-songwriter/keyboardist Izumi Kobayashi（小林泉美）and her Flying Mimi Band with their first of two albums "ORANGE SKY -- Endless Summer --". This LP should lend a goodly dollop of warmth and sun and tropical cocktails to last you a few hours.

Right from the beginning is "Santa Monica no Yoake"（サンタモニカの夜明け...Santa Monica Sunrise）, an instrumental track that begins with some early 1970s wacka-wacka funk before it dives into a thrilling jazz piano-led ride and then an epic rock/fusion piece. To me, despite the year of release, the song sounds even more ahead of its time especially in the jazzier sections. In the end, it makes me want to do a Google Maps tour of the actual beachfront city.

"Soyo Soyo"（そよそよ...Soft Winds） brings things back to some 1970s New Music in the tropics, with the start of each refrain reminding me of an old Tulip（チューリップ）song. Plus, we get Kobayashi's high vocals which are reminiscent of similarly-toned Akiko Kosaka（小坂明子）. Welcome to an early example of Resort Pop.

Speaking of refrain beginnings reminding me of other songs, the start of "Coffee"（コーヒー）has me thinking of an old Carpenters tune. Instead of breakfast, though, this "Coffee" seems to be the type of song that is best listened to over an early evening cup of joe, particularly when that saxophone solo comes into play.

"My Beach Samba" happens to also be a track on one of my "Light Mellow" CDs and it was released as Kobayashi's debut single back in August 1977. Her voice goes particularly high here as this very 70s City Pop/Resort Pop simply enjoys itself so much that listeners would be forgiven if they decided to book their tickets for Hawaii or Saipan right now.

My final entry here is "Yuugure Toki no Koibito-tachi"（夕ぐれ時の恋人たち...Twilight Lovers） starting with Kobayashi's high tones and a ukelele tackling a wistful old-timey number. I can imagine those titular romancers walking along the beach sporting parasols and pork-pie hats and suspenders. Her voice has me thinking New Wave Miharu Koshi（コシミハル）in spite of the sound of the song. But that surf rolling in at the end is loud enough to be a bit too ferocious.

Looks like "ORANGE SKY" has got some fine variety in there that I will see if I can get my own copy, and Tower Records seems to have a supply of the album.