Yoko Oda -- New York 1961 Fuyu（ニューヨーク 1961 冬）

Yep, actually the photo above should be labeled "Tokyo 2014 Aki" but since I haven't been in The Big Apple for many many years, this is the best that I could do.

Yoko Oda（小田陽子）is a chanteuse that I've only discovered recently, and almost 2 months back, I wrote about her for the first time via her 1988 song "Sunset Lonely Girl"（サンセット・ロンリー・ガール）, a dreamily atmospheric ballad with that hint of European jazz requiring a comfy chaise lounge.

Well, this time, I've gone back to the very beginning of her singing career in 1982 through her debut album "New York 1961". It's basically the title track "New York 1961 Fuyu" (New York 1961 Winter), and here, Oda tackles a more traditional jazz ballad (although I can hear that electric bass) that smacks of Manhattan and Henry Mancini. The song was written and composed by folk singer Akiyoshi Imanari（いまなりあきよし）.

Whenever Japanese TV has featured something to do with New York City, the music accompanying the feature isn't disco, rock or hip-hop. It's usually been swing jazz and although "New York 1961 Fuyu" involves more of a jazz combo with a string orchestra backing it up, I could imagine the Japanese media using arrangements similar to those used in this song whenever the scenes turn to late night in the city that never sleeps. There is that nice touch of class that brings to mind taking a brisk winter walk on one of the main avenues at night perhaps with a stopover by Rockefeller Centre to look at the massive Xmas tree and the skaters on the rink. Yup, it's quite sentimentalizing.

Hope against hope, but hopefully I can pick up this album as well.