Jazz vocalist Mie Joké’s 2018 release Etrenne is a fun and fancy swing jazz outing, a fresh throwback to classic vocal jazz recordings. Like the best of jazz lover’s disks, this collection hits the mark with a great selection of familiar jazz standards performed with a loving touch.

Vocalist Joké purrs atop her jazz group with a confident grace, a breathy tank of soulful emotion and romance. Her solidly swinging jazz combos feature accomplished veteran musicians, with a different group performing for “Side A” and “Side B of the recording as if on a classic jazz vinyl LP.

The music is done right, with an honest, straight-ahead vision, swinging and sliding through jazz standards like “Cheek to Cheek”, “Fly Me To The Moon”, and “Caravan” with tender authenticity. Aside from jazz, a few bonus pop songs add to the variety with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Still Crazy After All These Years.”

Etrenne by Mie Joké

• Mie Joké - vocal
• Tsuyoshi Yamamoto - piano (tr. #1-5)
• Hiroshi Kagawa - bass (tr. #1-5)
• Toshio Osumi - drums (tr. #1-5)
• Koji Goto - piano (tr. #6-11)
• Satsuki Kusui - bass (tr. #6-11)
• Akira Yamada - drums (tr. #6-11)
• Wataru Hamasaki - sax, flute (tr. #6-11)

Released in 2018 on Ultra Art Record as UA-1001.

Japanese names: 情家みえ Joké Mie 山本剛 Yamamoto Tsuyoshi 香川裕史 Kagawa Hiroshi 大隅寿男 Osumi Toshio 後藤浩二 Goto Koji 楠井五月 Kusui Satsuki 山田玲 Yamada Akira 浜崎航 Hamasaki Wataru

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Cheek To Cheek”

Jazz of Japan #84 • Oct 16, 2019 • Brian McCrory