Scarlet Moon has released JAZZ RESORT vol. 3, the latest volume in GENTLE LOVE’s ongoing live jazz series led by saxophonist Norihiko Hibino of Scarlet Moon Artists. The album arrives ahead of an August 28 launch show in Shibuya, and opens with a jazz take on the children’s song heard over the credits of Ghostwire: Tokyo (one of our favorite surprises on the album).
While most people know Hibino from Metal Gear Solid, have you heard his jazz work before? Will you be catching the Tokyo Jazz Resort launch show in Shibuya on the 28th? Click below to read more about the release, including comments from Hibino-san.
Scarlet Moon Records today released JAZZ RESORT vol. 3, the latest volume in GENTLE LOVE’s ongoing live jazz series recorded at the hot spring inn in Niigata, Japan, where saxophonist Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid, Bayonetta series) and his ensemble have performed for six years. The album basks in the warmth of summer, with most of its twelve tracks written by the musicians themselves. It opens with “Memories of Soap Bubbles,” GENTLE LOVE’s take on “Shabondama,” the 1923 Japanese children’s song by Shinpei Nakayama that reached game audiences through Masatoshi Yanagi’s arrangement over the end credits of Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo. The album also features a jazz rendition of the beloved Coco song “Remember Me,” by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
JAZZ RESORT vol. 3 on All Storefronts
Who Wrote What: Inside JAZZ RESORT vol. 3
JAZZ RESORT vol. 3 isn’t a Hibino solo record. It’s a true ensemble effort. Pianist Yuka Yanagihara wrote five of the album’s twelve tracks, including the nearly eight-minute “Marlborough Street” and the shorter “Ordinary Day,” “Summer Garden,” “Moonlight,” and “Move On.” Violinist maiko contributed “Gentle Breeze” and “Light of Hope.” Vibraphonist Reiko Yamamoto wrote “Cosmos,” “Sailing on Calm Waters,” and the closing “Midnight Lounge.” The other two tracks are covers: opener “Memories of Soap Bubbles” traces back to Shinpei Nakayama’s 1923 song “Shabondama,” and “Remember Me” is the quartet’s take on the Coco standard by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Hibino leads the band on sax, but the songbook itself belongs to the whole group.
The release doubles as the launch of Tokyo Jazz Resort, a live performance on Friday, August 28 at JZ Brat SOUND OF TOKYO in Shibuya. Hibino on saxophone with the same quartet, including pianist Yuka Yanagihara, violinist maiko, and vibraphonist Reiko Yamamoto, will perform music from the new album alongside pieces not found on the record. The set will feature “Shabondama” as heard in Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hibino will speak during the show about his ongoing research into sound therapy through the Hibino Sound Therapy Lab. Tickets and reservation details are available at jzbrat.com.
“This album is different for us with most of the music written by the musicians you’ll hear on it,” comments Hibino. “For the Tokyo show, I wanted to give the audience something beyond what’s on the record, so we’ll be including Ghostwire: Tokyo, along with a few other surprises. I also want to share a little about my ongoing study of sound therapy, something new for us to bring to a live audience.”
Learn more about the Prescription for Sleep: Game Music Lullabies and JAZZ RESORT series: scarletmoon.com/sleep