Monday Michiru -- You Make Me

Another Monday...back on the commute to the salt mines, as it were. Mind you, here in Toronto, when you have the Toronto Transit Commission breaking down here and there way too often...well, the trip to and from work can feel like a trip down a flight of stairs. In my case, I don't have to commute anymore and today, I seem to have that rare day off. Plus, I have another Monday to look forward to.

In this case, it's Monday Michiru（Monday満ちる）. A singer-songwriter who is currently based in New York City, she's the daughter of famed jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi（穐吉敏子）and the late alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano. I've heard about her for years and in terms of her music genre, I've placed her with R&B singers such as Misia and Harumi Tsuyuzaki（露崎春女）. I have a couple of compilation albums which have tracks by her and I even purchased one of her albums from Recomints in Nakano Broadway. However, those songs never quite hooked me at first listening.

Then, today I encountered her YouTube videos with her 3rd single, "You Make Me" from July 1998. Incidentally, the song is on that one album by her that I did purchase "Selections '97-'00". Over the years, I've learned that I love an R&B tune which has good groove, great horns and wonderfully soulful vocals. Congratulations, Monday...you made my Monday! "You Make Me" is one of those songs that completes my R&B trifecta. Darn catchy and something that can be heard over the earbuds to make that commute a little more pleasant. I'm not sure if it did anything on Oricon, but who cares? It makes me happy.

Just a small observation from me, but Monday looks like a big sister to Chloe Bennett, aka Agent Daisy Johnson from "Agents of SHIELD". Yeah, geek on! But moving on, I will have to dig up that Monday Michiru album and give it another go.