Yasuaki Shimizu & The Saxophonettes
L'Automne À Pékin
Better Days (Japan) 1983
YF-7078-BD (LP) w/insert.
sleeve : EX-(some light dirts)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise)
Featured in the guidebook OBSCURE SOUND REVISED EDITION. Released in 1983, this is the first album under the name Yasuaki Shimizu & The Saxophonettes, a project by Japanese saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu, who has been active in the Japanese jazz-fusion scene since the mid-1970s and has continued to explore new musical directions through the changing times. Today, The Saxophonettes also exists as a group project featuring multiple saxophone players, but at its core it is Shimizu’s personal vehicle. This debut under the name is very much a private, carefully constructed sound world, built around his saxophone and layered with synthesizers and strings through overdubbing. Although the album consists of covers of American standard numbers, the backing tracks are entirely electronic. The result is a truly singular work, where a nostalgic, retro mood and sharp, forward-looking electronic sound are fused in an exquisitely balanced way. In recent years, much attention has gone to Kakashi and Mariah’s Utakata No Hibi, but this is an absolute masterpiece where the essence of Yasuaki Shimizu can be felt in full. Also worth noting: compared with many other Better Days titles, the sound quality here is outstanding.
A1: Just One of Those Things
A4: I’ll Remember April
B1: Sophisticated Lady