Kido Natsuki - Quiet Life

CD released on Sakura in 2003.

He really nails his colours to the mast on this one and ably demonstrates what a great guitarist he is. There are covers of Brazilian jazz guitarist and composer Luiz Floriano Bonfá, American jazz bassist and composer Jaco Pastorius, Japanese reeds improviser Kazutoki Umezu (who he also collaborates with in the Kazutoki Umezu KIKI Band) and Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.

There are also covers of "Georgia On My Mind" (originally conceived by Hoagy Carmichael) and "Jamaica Farewell" (originally by the father of Jamaican calypso Irving Burgie but probably better known for a 1956 cover by Harry Belafonte). Kind of reminds me of when I saw Sir Richard Bishop live and he started to play "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". My first reaction was along the lines of "wtf" until he climbed inside its skin and claimed it as his own, easily dissolving any cultural baggage I was carrying with me. This is what happens here and I find these covers deeply touching. He's a genius!

Quiet Life