Yoshiaki Miyanoue -- Shiny Scandal（シャイニー・スキャンダル）

 

The first time I heard Yoshiaki Miyanoue's（宮之上貴昭）"Shiny Scandal", I thought it could have made for a bright accompanying BGM for a J-Drama of that time or even an anime. Back then, productions really liked to use their orchestras, especially the string sections.

However, "Shiny Scandal" is actually from Miyanoue's 2nd album "Mellow Around" from 1980, and Miyanoue himself is a Tokyo-born jazz guitarist who started out performing for a number of years in front of the troops at Yokota Air Base back in the 1970s. He then went to the United States to hone his skills for a few years before coming back and releasing his albums which now number up to about 24 up to 2022. Miyanoue was inspired and follows the way of his hero, the late jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. He even uses Montgomery's distinct technique of relying on the side of his thumb instead of a guitar pick to play.

"Shiny Scandal" is indeed a shiny and non-scandalous piece which comes across as being quite refined and relaxing as if Miyanoue were playing in some seashore bar with the view of that ocean and schooner seen on the cover of "Mellow Around". Of course, Miyanoue won't allow the strings to take centre stage and his playing comes to the fore. The song itself was composed and arranged by pianist Chikara Ueda（上田力）, no stranger to fusion himself.