Naomi & Goro
333Discs V.A. : スープと音楽と、 (JAP,2006)***°
This seems to be a compilation of related groups and projects around the duo Naomi & Goro (Naomi & Goro, Cinnabom -Naomi solo ?-, Moose Hill –Goro solo-, Tico Moon, and Achordion). The booklet shows beautiful photographs of Japanese haute cuisine dishes (soups?). It looks a bit like a sponsored compilation like a kind of restaurant music. Deliberate or not, it could be used for it. I also noticed how the recipes of the dishes are included. Naomi & Goro play often a kind of bossa nova type of music sung in Portuguese with sophisticated jazzy classical guitar and sung with a warm sweet voice. I’m mostly not such a fan of bossa nova, but this tempered, warm and calm interpretation of Naomi & Goro is perfect in inner balance. Some other projects of the duo focus more on the instrumental more chamber-like acoustic music, showing delicacy and refinement. This gives a very rich variation to the project. Beautiful music for eating quality soup/dishes !
333Discs Naomi & Goro : Home (for 1+Stylers) (JAP,2006)****
This duo plays stylish and warm interpretations of various known (and mainstream) covers. The female vocalist has a beautiful clearwater silver voice, and the guitarist’s almost classical, stylish jazzy playing of the guitar is like gold. Their interpretations are made and done for and come often close to perfection. Their pronunciation of the different languages they sing in is also remarkably well done. The bossanova songs, as well as the re-established rock and pop songs fit very well together so that I can imagine them being performed well on a sophisticated concert evening, with a duo not to far away from a selected public and occasion.
Tracks : "will you dance?" (Janis Ian), "goodbye" (Paul McCartney), "Les Copains d'abord" (George Brassens), "me,japanese boy I love you" (Hal David/Burt Bacharach), "ecountant la pluie (rhythm of the rain)" (John Clausde Gummoe), "top of the world" (John Bettis,Richard Carpenter), "beauty & the beast" (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken), "estrada branca" (Vincencius de Moreas, Antonio Carlos Jobim),"over the rainbow" (Harburg, Harold Arlen).
