Norio Maeda Meets Tin Pan Alley – Soul Samba / Holiday In Brazil

Japanese jazz pianist Norio Maeda meets Haruomi Hosono’s Van Dyke Parks and Martin Denny inspired exotica / lounge band Tin Pan Alley. Released on Panam, Soul Samba / Holiday In Brazil is a collection of latin jazz, samba, and bossa nova songs including Antônio Carlos Jobim classics “Wave,” “The Girl From Ipanema,” “One Note Samba,” along with Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “The Look Of Love.” Maeda masterfully cruises along on electric piano and synthesizers while Hosono and band provide that perfect tropical groove that they’re known. As expected with Japanese renditions of other genres, the music is filled with a sort of carefree, melody-focused and nostalgic sound that lifts the performances far beyond your typical cover version.

Recommended – Full Listen