This is the second release from AKUPHONE, an up-and-coming label whose future plans—to unearth music from across Asia spanning the 1950s to the 1980s—are highly anticipated. Not only are the arrangements by Naoteru Misuna and the Tokyo Cuban Boys—which transform numerous familiar folk songs from all over Japan into something you’ve never heard before, with a moody, magical, and exotic Latin jazz sound that’s sophisticated and mature—absolutely brilliant, but but the sheer brilliance of Chiemi Eri’s delivery and vocals—as she sings lightly and stylishly against this backdrop—is simply beyond words… It’s so wonderfully cool it brings tears to your eyes. A masterpiece from the AKUPHONE label, complete with a lovingly crafted booklet featuring liner notes and lyrics in Romanized Japanese. It transports you to a scene of exotic paradise music, somewhere far from here. Start with the sample, and be sure to check out the track list as well. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)