A split session of material – both sides recorded during the same concert in Yokohama, but with one side of instrumental work, and one side of vocals! Pianist Masaru Imada starts things out with three really beautiful original tunes – pieces that blend together some modal rhythms with some of the freer energy that he and his Japanese scene were opening up at the time – not avant modes, by wonderfully lyrical progressions that are urged on here by work from Isoo Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums! Both players continue on the vocal tracks, which have singer Shigeko Toya in the lead – and the quartet are also joined by Kenji Mori on alto on two tracks too. Instrumental tunes include "Ascent", "On The Green Pavement", and "Shadows In Spring" – and vocal numbers include "Call Me Irresponsible", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Fine & Mellow", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

Shigeko Toya looks mighty righteous on the cover – and she sounds mighty righteous on the record, too – working both as a pianist and a singer, and with a quality that's very different than most other Japanese vocalists of the time! The tracks are long, and often drenched in deeply soulful currents – both from the piano, and from the excellent work on bass from Takashi Mizuhashi – as Toya takes on a host of American classics, singing with unusual inflections that really fit the way she vocalizes the tunes – almost some sort of late 60s Bay Area hybrid of blues and jazz with some Fillmore influences – although the set itself is mostly acoustic, and definitely jazz all the way through. Other players include Akitoshi Igarashi on alto, Masayuki Takayanagi on guitars, and Masaru Imada on piano too – on titles that include "Fine & Mellow", "Unchain My Heart", "Body & Soul", "Willow Weep For Me", "Angel Eyes", and "The Very Thought Of You". CD