Mai Yamane -- You Don't Have To Say

 

"Would you care for another martini, sir? And if I may suggest...we can move you to a table overlooking Tokyo. The sunset is particularly beautiful today."

Yep, that's the kind of offer that I hear when I listen to this marvelous laidback tune by Mai Yamane（山根麻衣）. The refined and jazzy "You Don't Know Have To Say" oozes all kinds of class, and this is just the B-side to her debut single from March 1979, "Gozen Reiji"（午前0時...12 Midnight）. Written and composed by Yamane herself, the opening flute establishes things nicely in that refined 1970s way, the languid instruments thereafter transport some fine sunset relaxation, and then the saxophone make it very clear that we are enjoying some urban and urbane hedonism. Plus it's all brought together by the velvet tones of the singer herself.

I'll have to cover "Gozen Reiji" soon enough.