It was right on Christmas Day 2019 that I put up the J-Xmas tune "It's a Merry Christmas to You" as performed by singer-songwriters Junko Hirotani（広谷順子）, Yuko Kawai（河合夕子）, Eri Sugai（菅井えり）and Yasuhiro Kido（木戸やすひろ）, and in there, I mentioned that there was a mix of vocal group Manhattan Transfer and even some Andrews Sisters, thanks to the jazzy melody and its arrangement by Sugai.
Well, I've found out that this particular style wasn't just a one-off for Sugai. The singer-composer from Osaka always had a thing for the Great American Songbook and Christian music, according to her J-Wiki biography, and the first track on her 1986 debut album "Skip!" (and the subsequent tracks that I've heard so far) has that feeling.
Released under the Romanized name of Eri, the album has a cover that would make fellow singer-songwriter Kaoru Sudo（須藤薫）swoon in envy. The first track, by the way, is "Dancing Shoes" (words and music by Sugai) and the first thing that I was struck by was just how light yet brassy her voice is. I can compare her vocals to those of Kyoko Endo（遠藤京子）who was also making her way through the pop zeitgeist during that decade.
The other thing is the whole arrangement of "Dancing Shoes" itself. Sugai must have asked herself the question "What aspects of old American standard music should I include here?", and her answer was simply "Yes". "Dancing Shoes" has the equivalent of an entire 1960s American comedy-variety special squished through an 80s pop filter into this song. There is some old-fashioned vocal group sense reminiscent of the aforementioned Manhattan Transfer, jazzy interludes by the house band, slapstick comedy and even tap dancing. The only thing missing is the corny Bob Hope monologue.
As I listen to the rest of "Skip!", I realize that I should try to track down a copy of it someday. The poignancy is especially enhanced because Sugai passed away in late 2016 from pancreatic cancer.
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