Tokyo-based jazz singer Sanae Ishikawa sings from her heart, presenting her full, confident voice on choice jazz standards with her 2007 debut Feel Like Makin’ Love.

Her beautiful, crystal-clear delivery resonates with an easy joyfulness and charm, yet can also reflect depths of dramatic emotion to moving effect. Building on the strength of her veteran backup musicians, her innate jazz timing elevates the performance and welcomes the listener straight into the music.

Her self-described “juicy voice” is powerful with natural buoyancy and shimmering vibrations, and her impressively clear pronunciation adds another level of quality to this enjoyable session.

This 12-track album is well-rounded and arranged like a live performance, with five standard jazz swing numbers (including “Cheek to Cheek”, “Our Love Is Here To Stay”, “All Of Me”), Latin/bossa songs (“How Insensitive”, “Antonio’s Song”, …), slower ballads (“Blame It On My Youth”, …), and the title song done in a groovy, soulful style.

Feel Like Makin’ Love by Sanae Ishikawa

• Sanae Ishikawa - vocal
• Shigeo Fukuda - piano, electric piano
• Shinji Hashimoto - guitar
• Daisuke Toi - bass
• Satoshi Kosugi - bass
• Cecil Monroe - drums

Released in 2007 on Polystar Jazz Library (PJL) / JAZZBANK Cat’s Meow as MTCJ-1098.

Japanese names: 石川早苗 Ishikawa Sanae 福田重男 Fukuda Shigeo 橋本信二 Hashimoto Shinji トオイダイスケ Toi Daisuke 小杉敏 Kosugi Satoshi

Audio and Video

• “Tea For Two” from the album release performance:

• “So Many Stars” from the album release performance:

• “Day In, Day Out” from the album release performance:

• “Cheek To Cheek” from the album release performance:

• Excerpt from track #7: “チーク・トゥ・チーク (Cheek To Cheek)”

Jazz of Japan #45 • May 10, 2018 • Brian McCrory