This album was made between February 5 and May 15, 2006. 100 hours alone was spent on mixing. Mieko Hirota (hereafter referred to as MICO) was involved in the mixing from start to finish. She is one of the few Japanese singers who get that involved in the mixing process. The recording started with leading Japanese jazz musicians taking part. The recording went smoothly, with MICO doing most of the songs in one take. After all the recordings were completed, a longer period than expected was taken for the mixing. This led to an increase in expenses.
Both MICO and the album producer H. Takebayashi were dissatisfied with the jazz recording methods of the day and were in agreement on making the best album possible, but reaching an agreement on the sound quality was only possible by working out issues at the recording/mixing sessions on each occasion. MICO is very meticulous when it comes to the quality of the vocals. For that reason, on a number of occasions, they had to get her agreement on issues concerning the vocals at the recording/mixing sessions.
Most jazz vocal recordings are done making sure that the vocals do not stand out too much (although for albums recorded in Europe this trend seems to have undergone a big change). The stance for this album was, since these were recordings with a vocalist, the opposite should apply. In other words, the vocals should stand out. Listening to the album, one can understand how much attention was paid to the vocals, including the reverbs.
In 1961, Mieko Hirota (MICO) recorded her first album on the Toshiba Records label. At the time, she was only 14 and it marked the beginning of her reign as one of the top female pop stars in Japan. She was one of the few top-class singers of U.S. pop tunes in the '60s. She had a string of hits with Japanese versions of American pop songs during that period. In July 1965, she was the first Japanese (and Asian) singer to take part in the Newport Jazz Festival.
In 2006, MICO made her first reggae recording in Jamaica with Sly & Robbie. MICO doesn't show any signs of slowing down - she is indeed an Asian miracle.
Features:
• Super Audio CD
• SACD Stereo SACD Layer
• This Hybrid SACD contains a 'Red Book' Stereo CD Layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!
• High Quality Master Recording
• High Precision Mastering
Selections:
1. What A Difference A Day Makes
2. Moonlight In Vermont
3. Caravan
4. Meditation
5. It's All Right With Me
6. Dream
7. Moonlight Serenade (Studio Live Session)
8. Summertime
9. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
10. The Very Thought Of You
11. Angel Eyes
12. Solitude
13. Agus De Beber
14. My Cherie Amour
