Tangerine Peel Jam -Complete-

'Tangerine Peel Jam', the debut of "Ear Candy Jazz Factory", is an outstanding example of new Jazz from Japan, and - allow me to say: it has been getting time for this! The three-piece-band follows a line of smooth Jazz, with some really fine skills, musicality, and most of all they bind their flow with drive and groove - not easy to develop, and hard to find. 'Ear Candy Jazz Factory' consists of Rei Narita on piano and keyboards, and an all-girl rhythm section: Naoko Sakurai on bass, and Kanade Sato on drums. The first song, 'Tailwind', starts with a rhythm in 4/4-time you did not hear anywhere else, joining in a really driving bass guitar, everything accompaniing the dominating piano of Rei - this song makes you want to cruise through the City and run down the freeway at the same time... perfect opener! 'Urahara Cat Street' is just grooving you down in this easy-going-style that Rei's music offers all the time. (You want to carry on cruising…) Some hammond-organ work in here. In 'Monsoon In Crimson' you get some nice music featuring the saxophone of Younosuke Shimizu. In the (much too short!) middle part, Naoko and Kanade groove it all away, again..! 'Run Through The City' takes you back on the highway. Naoko equippes her bass with some mix of touch wah and chorus, Kanade goes in sixteenth on the Hi-Hat, and it flows and it flows… Would you guess, a song called 'The Feeling Of Samurai' had some Samba and Latin groove? Some drum solo in here… In case you missed some more jazzy thing, now you get what you want: 'Autumn Foliage' is a Showcase of the band's skills - in 4/4-time with some middle part in 7/8-time, including one more drum solo (!) 'Rain In Space' lives up to its name: Song for rainy days, looking out of the window - a little sad, but making it better through music… The next song joining in Younosuke on alto-sax again, 'Hack Your Way Through The Sky', is an uptempo jazz thing with a driving out-of-phase Ride Cymbal of Kanade's - next drum solo included! Some unexpected electronics will open 'Snow Kaleidoscope', and the song suddenly turns in much more smooth theme - strange, but nice. Some driving middle part with fine work of the rhythm section: Sounds easy, but runs like a swiss watch. The CD ends with 'Step Into The Inside Of Kyoto' with Naoko on fretless 5-string. Smooth and great piece in 6/8-time. My opinion: Highly recommended!