Japońska wokalistka jazzowa Emi Takada swym drugim (po "I'm All Smiles”, 2014) albumem "Why Did I Choose You?" składa hołd takim kompozytorom i twórcom piosenek jak m.in. Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern, Michel Legrand, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen czy Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Urodzona w Sapporo Emi Takada zaczęła śpiewać w wieku 10 lat wstępując do grupy chóralnej, a dorastając śpiewała muzykę klasyczną. Po raz pierwszy odwiedziła Stany Zjednoczone w 1997 roku, gdzie jako sopranistka dołączyła do chóru Houston Symphony. Ponownie przyjechała do Nowego Jorku w 2010 roku, aby studiować u Marion Cowings, rozpoczynając tym samym karierę jako jazzowa wokalistka i występując w rozmaitych klubach jazzowych. W latach 2011-2016 mieszkała w Houston w Teksasie, gdzie występowała z pianistą Bobem Henschenem, ale także co miesiąc dając koncerty w Nowym Jorku oraz Tokio (z gitarzystą Satoshi Inoue) i Sapporo. Od 2017 wokalistka mieszka w Tokio, regularnie jednak odwiedzając i występując w Nowym Jorku.
Tam też nagrany został album "Why Did I Choose You?", który swą premierę miał w legendarnym klubie Birdland. 11 piosenek śpiewanych delikatnym, zmysłowym głosem oprawionych jest przez swingujący kwartet złożony z pianisty Michaela Kanana, gitarzysty Satoshi Inoue, kontrabasisty Neala Minera i perkusisty Dwayne'a "Cooka” Broadnaxa. Gościnnie na płycie pojawia się też Marion Cowings.
W programie płyty znajdziemy takie standardy jak: "All The Things You Are", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Blue Skies", czy "Stormy Weather".
Album ukazał się 1 września 2019.
Robert Ratajczak
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Emi Takada: Why Did I Choose You?
CD, Emi Takada
program:
1. It Might as Well Be Spring
2. All the Things You Are
3. You Must Believe in Spring
4. I'm in the Mood for Love
5. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
6. Blue Skies / In Walked Bud
7. Stormy Weather
8. Lover, Come Back to Me
9. Why Did I Choose You?
10. No More Blues
11. Miagetegoran Yoru-No Hoshi-Wo
personel:
Emi Takada - wokal
Michael Kanan - fortepian
Satoshi Inoue - gitara
Neal Miner - kontrabas
Dwayne "Cook" Broadnax - perkusja
gościnnie:
Marion Cowings - wokal, instr. perkusyjne
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tekst prasowy:
Japanese Jazz Singer Emi Takada’s Why Did I Choose You features her gentle voice and deep understanding of timeless lyrics on ten standards.
Why Did I Choose You follows up on the success of Emil Takada’s previous recording I’m All Smiles. She sings ten classic songs with understated feeling and sensitivity while joined by a swinging quartet comprised of pianist Michael Kanan, guitarist Satoshi Inoue, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax. Emi Takada puts plenty of feeling into her interpretations, picks great songs, swings no matter what the tempo, and always displays sincerity while digging deep into the meaning behind the lyrics.
Inspired by the concise and tasteful solos of pianist Kanan and guitarist Inoue, Ms. Takada performs such numbers as “It Might As Well Be Spring”, “All The Things You Are” (starting with its rarely-heard verse), a dreamy jazz waltz version of “I’m In The Mood For Love”, and heartfelt renditions of “You Must Believe In Spring” and “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”. Her mentor, singer Marion Cowings, guests on a few numbers including a combination of “Blue Skies” and “In Walked Bud” which features the two vocalists joyfully interacting, as well as “Miagete Goran Yoru No Hoshi Wo (Look Up At The Night Stars)”, a very important song loved by all Japanese people. Emi Takada pays tribute to Cowings’ mentor Jon Hendricks on “No More Blues” (which has Hendricks’ English lyrics) and to composer Michael Leonard (whose “I’m All Smiles” was the title track of her previous album) on a slow and emotional “Why Did I Choose You”. And to display her versatility, the singer also performs a bluesy “Stormy Weather” and an uptempo “Lover Come Back To Me”.
Emi Takada was born in Sapporo, Japan. She began singing when she was ten in the Boys and Girls Choral Group and sang classical music while growing up. She first visited the United States in 1997 where she joined the Houston Symphony Chorus as a soprano. Back in Japan, she worked steadily in a variety of settings and became very interested in jazz. In 2010 she came to New York to study with Marion Cowings, starting her career as a jazz singer and appearing in New York clubs.
Emi was based in Houston, Texas during much of 2011-16 where she performed with pianist Bob Henschen, but also had a monthly gig in NYC during 2015-16 and sang in Tokyo (with guitarist Satoshi Inoue) and Sapporo. In 2014 she released her first recording I’m All Smiles which received positive and enthusiastic reviews.
Emi Takada moved to Tokyo in 2017 but visits and performs regularly in New York where she recorded Why Did I Choose You? Upcoming in September, she will be making her debut at NYC’s Birdland to celebrate the release of her memorable new album.
