Emi Makabe Anniversary CD

Born and raised in Japan but a decade-plus resident of New York, Makabe releases her debut album Anniversary, featuring her original songs ' sung in English, Japanese and wordless vocalese ' in airy, artful arrangements, with improvisation naturally part of the mix. The record features Emi on vocals and shamisen (a traditional Japanese string instrument) alongside a trio of New York jazz virtuosos: Vitor Gonçalves on piano/accordion, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums/vibraphone. Along with the shamisen-laced singles 'Treeing' and 'Flash,' highlights of Anniversary include the jazzy, melody-rich 'O Street,' the otherworldly 'Mielcke' and the romantic-minded title track. The album also features Emi's apt setting of 'Chimney Sweeper,' the sad-eyed poem by William Blake about a child abandoned. Bringing an intensely original mix of elements together into a fresh and personal statement, Emi presents a nice mixture of Japanese folk music and jazz improvisation.