Gardenia

Kato’s second solo album after Sadistic Mika Band wears black on its sleeve, but the music glows with color. Yukihiro Takahashi and Tsugutoshi Goto form a rhythm section Kato knew well; Shigeru Suzuki, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Kazumi Watanabe add to an ensemble with the feel of fine silk. Brazilian colors, European perfume and Kazuko Yasui’s elegant lyrics all meet Kato’s unmistakable ear for detail.

‘Gardenia’ begins at an easy pace, then gathers speed as Kimiko Kasai’s whispery vocal joins a Brazilian groove. Kato’s acoustic guitar keeps a wonderfully unhurried pulse. His duet with Kasai on ‘Today’ brings bossa nova and mellow pop into close embrace; ‘Kibun o Dashite Mo Ichido’ follows with a sweeter, lightly buoyant touch. Three songs in, the body is floating and the mind is somewhere above the clouds. The album keeps changing its shade afterward, from jazz with a groove to straightforward bossa and, finally, samba. It is hard to leave before the last note.