Clean, swinging piano playing together with warm, organic guitar tones balance perfectly over the mostly original material with three jazz standards, “How Deep Is the Ocean”, “The Peacocks”, and “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams”. While the cover songs offer the most swinging and familiar jazz themes, the pair’s original numbers complete the package with shades of rock, blues, and folk interpreted through a Japanese jazz lens.

While it can be said that Fukuda plays masterly jazz piano in a very piano-like way, a similar description could be made of Nunokawa’s guitar playing, which also brings in funky rock and pop facets with slick guitar jazz. Along with their individually impressive and extensive history, the musicians hold a real 30+ years friendship playing together, and on this album show command of their instruments and their natural jazz musicians’ bond expressed through their dreams from childhood.

Audio and Video

• A video of “Childhood’s Dream”, a live version of the title track:

• A video of “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams”, a live version of the last track on this album:

• Excerpt from track #7: “How Deep Is The Ocean”

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.

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)”