a summery playlist, travelling from japan’s city pop and retro-future jams, to brazil’s bossa nova, and landing on american jazz fusion and jazz-tinged pop.
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- SUPER★DRAGON – [君は1000%] 君は1000
- Kikuo – Astral Travel
- Shibayan feat. Rainych – disco light
- 無果汁団 – [うみねこゲイザー] まぼろしタイムマシン
- Minami Kitasono – エビはカニじゃない
- Gen Hoshino – Comedy
- 大貫妙子 – [Sunshower] Summer Connection
- 土岐麻子 – [ＶＯＩＣＥ～ＷＯＲＫＳ ＢＥＳＴ～] Flamingo
- Tatsuro Yamashita – [Ride On Time] Clouds
- Antônio Carlos Jobim – [Stone Flower] Andorinha
- Banda Black Rio – Mr Funky Samba
- Elis Regina & Tom Jobim – [Elis & Tom] Águas de março
- Elizeth Cardoso – Outra Vez
- Vinicius de Moraes, Toquinho y María Creuza – [En La Fusa (Buenos Aires)] Samba Em Preludio
- César Camargo Mariano e Hélio Delmiro – [Samambaia CD1] Carinhoso
- Steely Dan – [Aja] Deacon Blues
- Michael Jackson – [Michael Jackson Off The Wall – Special Edition] I Can’t Help It
- Stevie Wonder – [Innervisions] Too High
- Jamiroquai – [The Return Of The Space Cowboy] Space Cowboy
- Weather Report – [Heavy Weather (Mastersound SBM)] Palladium
- Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – [Astral Traveling CD1] Astral Traveling
- Ramsey Lewis – [Salongo] Brazilica
This mix is a bit of a change from my previous ones, which were specifically aiming for newer releases with a focus on digital fusion. For this one, I was inspired by the summer’s sweltering heat to let my mind wander to worldwide genres that make me feel like summer.
Starting with Japanese city pop. I included a selection of classics, like “Clouds” by Tatsuro Yamashita, as well as SUPER DRAGON’s cover of “Kimi wa 1000%”, but also modern takes, like Mukajudan’s wonderful Maboroshi Time Machine and Flamingo by Asako Toki.
Drifting onward from this sound, I landed on the bossa nova sound from Brazil: Jobim, Banda Black Rio (although they might be considered funk instead), and many other pioneers from that time.
Finally, I selected some of the most summery tracks from the US jazz fusion and jazzy, summery side of r’n’b from the 70s and 80s: Steely Dan is a must of course, and I recently discovered that “I Can’t Help It” by Michael Jackson was written by Stevie Wonder, a real sleeper track with stellar production by Quincy Jones. I also included some of my favorite instrumental jazz fusion tracks to close the set out, with Ramsey Lewis’ “Brazilica” tying it all together. Get a cold drink and sit under the intercontinental palm trees!
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