MY TUNE, MY TURN

Formerly of Grape: that label will probably always follow Masami Yoshida. His distinctive character and considerable gifts as a singer-songwriter have remained hidden behind his partner's shadow; in the duo's day, he sang only around one song per live show. Yet the crossover atmosphere and graceful impressions running through his albums seem unmistakably his own. His relationship to the group's public face has something in common with Hiroyasu Suzuki in Off Course, Shozo Ise in Kaguyahime, or George Harrison in the Beatles. When this album appeared, he was also working as a record-company director, combining solo work with the professional instincts of a producer. This remains his only solo album, and the new territory he explores is a stylish resort sound, a summer retreat. The sweet, sentimental pop of A3 brings Brazilian elements into Michael Franks-like AOR songcraft. A4 is a silky, flowing bossa tune, B3 an urban medium-tempo samba, and B5 a soft Latin city-pop piece. He is hardly selling technical virtuosity or a Brazilian aesthetic, but, as with the work of his Chabozu collaborators, the material itself leaves the strongest impression. Alongside Shuichi Murakami, Tatsuo Hayashi, Tsugutoshi Goto, Akira Okazawa and Nobu Saito, Akiko Yano's participation is a particularly welcome surprise.