It's been a cool, sunny and comfortable start to Sunday today as I took a stroll in the neighbourhood for some shopping. At my age, a stroll is pretty much my speed now.
The only thing missing was some musical accompaniment. If it were up to me, I would select "Perfect Love" from Yutaka Yokokura's（横倉裕）"Another Sun" album (1993). Yokokura's duet with Gracinha Leporace is a sublime sangria of AOR, Latin, jazz and fusion. Being able to focus on this one song is one reason that I really don't include every track when I cover an album on KKP. I hadn't listened to "Another Sun" in a while so it was nice hearing "Perfect Love" again as this upbeat but stroll-speed-worthy tune on an autumn Sunday morning.
Hello J-Canuck, this recording particularly interesting to me.The vocal style is unusually soft, airy, restrained, and intimate. Rather than competing with the instrumental arrangement, Yutaka's voice becomes part of its delicate texture.
ReplyDeleteI think several qualities are useful in describing his singing.
(1) A soft, breathy timbre. His vocal sound has been described in Japanese as ソフトでエアリーなヴォーカル (sofuto de earī na vōkaru), meaning “soft, airy vocals.” A Japanese review of his 1988 album specifically emphasizes this characteristic in “Dreamland.” (2) A gentle, non-forceful delivery. Yokokura's singing belongs to a tradition in which understatement is expressive. Instead of projecting a powerful voice or emphasizing dramatic climaxes, the singer creates an impression of closeness and relaxation.(3) Smooth phrasing. His style fits the legato approach associated with bossa nova and sophisticated adult contemporary music. The emphasis is on lyrical continuity and subtle rhythmic placement rather than aggressive articulation. (4) An intimate quality. The closest stylistic category is a soft-voiced jazz-pop crooner, although without necessarily implying the deeper, more resonant tone of traditional crooners.
Yeah, I'd say that his voice is as much an instrument for the type of music that he was making as his keyboards and koto have been.
Delete