Yoko Kuzuya -- Koi （恋）

Today, I came across a compilation disc of female artists titled "GINZA - Evening" that I'd bought over a decade ago. Considering the title, I'd initially thought that the CD would be filled with some pretty brassy music, but actually, the songs are pretty introspective laid-back affairs. So, instead of the exclusive nightclubs crammed into the tall buildings, these tracks are more reminiscent of being in that Ginza cafe alone on a rainy night.

The first track is "Koi" (Love) by singer-songwriter Yoko Kuzuya （葛谷葉子）from Gifu Prefecture who released this as her 2nd single in January 2000, although the song had already been a track on her 1st album, "Music Greetings Volume One" from September 1999. It's a bluesy affair as she sings about trying to give up on that guy for one or two glaring faults...only to find that he's still got a fair number of strong points. The song sets the theme for the rest of the album rather nicely.

Kuzuya has also provided songs for other singers such as Mika Nakashima（中島美嘉）, Masayuki Suzuki （鈴木雅之）and Kumi Koda（倖田來未）.