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"Acid jazz" comes of age via Bird and her peers!

J. Lund | SoCal, USA | 11/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The so-called "acid jazz" genre (i.e., combining jazz elements with hip-hop, drums'n'bass, r&b/soul, funk, world music, etc.) has been lurking mostly under the surface of worldwide popular culture for well over a decade. Groups such as Sade, Les Nubians, and Brand New Heavies have played prominent roles in injecting this hard-to-define and often aesthetically-disappointing genre with some personality, creativity, and popularity. Although virtually unknown to U.S. audiences, several artists in Japan have arguably gone the farthest in elevating "acid jazz" from a novelty to the forefront of creative contemporary popular music. Among them are Monday Michiru, Mondo Grosso, and now Bird. It is the mastermind behind Mondo Grosso--bassist/producer Shinichi Osawa--who finds perhaps the ideal voice for his eclectic musical personality in BIRD, a petite, photogenic 23-year-old singer with a remarkably mature, jazz-inflected voice. In fact, Bird's musical instincts seem so well-defined that you wonder who is leading who (my guess is that this is a truly a collaboration of equals)! This 1999 album (her debut) has become a smash hit in Bird's homeland and throughout Asia. Although sung entirely in Japanese, this album is highly recommended to any non-Japanese speaking music lover with a tolerance for music sung in a foreign language--the rewards are numerous even if the words cannot be understood. For one, Bird has one of the most attractive-sounding voices you will ever hear, and she sings with the emotion, nuance, and wisdom one would expect of someone TWICE her age, while projecting a youthful exuberance one would expect from someone OF her age (she even raps effectively on several tracks!). Second, the songs are memorable, with fresh, engaging melodies that stay in your head even after the first listen (no less than FIVE of the album's tracks became hit singles in Japan). Furthermore, the Osawa-led production provides Bird with a wide-ranging, ambitious accompiament that matches her vocal style perfectly. Sonically the production has a hip-hop-influenced feel, but Osawa doesn't keep it there. He mixes in everything from straight-ahead jazz to r&b to rap, not to draw attention to himself but rather to reveal the vocalist's many facets. CONTEMPORARY style meets CLASSIC substance!If my review piques your interest, of course you'll have to consider whether or not to pay a premium price (typical of Japanese imports) for the priviledge to hear this amazing talent. After hearing Bird, I felt like I got more than my money's worth! Better to have one album I listen to repeatedly than to buy three that get played once and then gather dust.  "