[Song Review #200] "Make Up in the Morning" by Himiko Kikuchi
Hi. We have just marked the No.200 post. Thank you for your continuous support.
Not particularly celebrating anything, but, we would like to introduce one of our favorite Fusion numbers, "Make Up in the Morning" written and performed by a famed Jazz Fusion keyboardist "Himiko Kikuchi" in 1983.
Elegant, bright, and thrilling Fusion instrumental, "Make Up in the Morning" is one of the big flowers in the history of Japanese Fusion music, and certainly a masterpiece in the category, we believe.
If you like, please listen.
No exact sample
The exact music sample of today's track is currently not available, since it was recently inactivated by the music shop.
Then instead of that, we have put a link to a Jazz arranged version contained in 2007 live album. So if you like, please check it at "Samples" section located in the bottom.
We also have seen few of music clips of original arranged version in minimum sound quality at on-line video sites, like Youtube.
So, if you like, please conduct a search by stating the song title (Make Up in the Morning) and the name of the performer (Himiko Kikuchi), on those sites.
(We cannot put the links on here, due to copyright concerns. Sorry about that.)
Luckily, we have found a music video which a high amateur is playing a original version of "Make Up in the Morning" with the Electone.
We think this music clip would be helpful for you to get a clearer idea, since the musician is faithfully following to the original. So, we put a link to this video on the bottom of the section 6. If you like, please have a look at this too.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
Some contents have been put away in tabs with "▶" mark in each section, so please click it to see.
We are now working on improving appearances of our posts.
If you find anything odd, please kindly let us know.
Thank you.
Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Make Up in the Morning |
|---|---|
| Artist | Himiko Kikuchi |
| Album Title | |
| Catalog Number | TEH-16 |
| Track No. | 1 |
| Duration | 6:35 |
| Released | 1983 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | Instrumental music |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Instrumental music Lyricist
This is an Instrumental music, and there is no lyric.
Himiko Kikuchi Composer & Arranger
The composer & arranger of this instrumental music is "Himiko Kikuchi".
She is also a performer of this song, then, we would like to come back to her in "About the artist" section later.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Bright & thrilling
This song seems to be a bright, active, and spirited Fusion instrumental music in comfortable up-tempo rhythm.
Unique Opening
You might be surprised if you first play this album, since the opening introduction is a beautiful harmony of an authentic symphonic orchestra.
But after a classical music like elegant prelude, the electric piano, bass, drums, electric guitar, and percussions will start a a very exciting, thrilling, and a little Latin bit like main introduction.
In the main part, the acoustic piano, strings, and saxophone join, and play a bright & refreshing main theme together with Latin percussions.
In the bridge, there is a brilliant acoustic piano solo performed by "Himiko Kikuchi" herself, and plays an excellent call & response session with the saxophone.
After the lead by the acoustic piano, the saxophone then becomes a central player, and performs an equally beautiful solo play.
Woman
Today's song, "Make up in the morning", is an opening track of her Kikuchi's 4th leader album "Woman".
The concept of the album "Woman" is an everyday life of women, as the title is explaining.
"Kikuchi" picked up those regular daily events, and had given wonderfully stylish melodies for each scenes.
If possible, please listen to the whole album.
Musicians
All the musicians participated in this album (not only for this track) are as follows.
- A. Piano, key, vocal
- Himiko Kikuchi
- Electric guitar
- Masatsugu Matsumoto
- Electric Bass
- Kazuya Sugimoto
- Electric Bass
- Naoki Watanabe
- Electric Bass
- Hiroshi Hoshino
- Drums
- Kazuaki Misago
- Drums
- Atsuo Okamoto
- Drums
- Hideo Yamaki
- Drums
- Yasushi Ichihara
- Percussion
- Yoshinori Nohmi
- Alto sax
- Shigeo Suzuki
- Tenor Sax
- Hirofumi Kinjo
- Flute
- Shozo Nakagawa
- Trumpet
- Susumu Kazuhara
- Chorus
- EVE(group)
- Strings
- Joe strings
- Brass
- Kazuhara section
- Oboe
- Gaichi Ishibashi
- Flugelhorn, Piccolo
- Yukihiko Nishizawa
- Clarinet
- Motoe Miyajima
- Horn
- Hiroyuki Minami
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Himiko KikuchiA comet in the J-Fusion of the '80s
"Himiko Kikuchi" is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger active since 1970.
She is one of the most notable musician in Japanese Fusion scene, who led the '80s Fusion boom together with the groups, or musicians like "Casiopea", "T-Square" or "Masayoshi Takanaka".
And her mastery skill of the keyboard is also admired always.
Himiko Kikuchi debuted in 1980 with her first album, "DON'T BE STUPID". Since then, 10 original, 1 live, and 3 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: discogs.com, Himiko Kikuchi)
Early times
"Himiko Kikuchi" was born in Sendai-city, which is located in the northern part of Japan.
She started learning the classical piano when she was 7 years old.
And seemingly, she also started playing the Electone (A brand of the electronic organ marketed by Yamaha) while she was an elementary school student.
Since the mid '60s to the '70s were a flourish era for the electronic organs in Japan.
"Kikuchi" entered a Junior category of "Yamaha Electone Concour", which is famous, and prestigious nation wide music contest, when she was 12 years old, and received an award.
When she was 16, "Kikuchi" again entered "Electone Concour", but senior class this time.
Even she was one of the youngest contestant, and others were all adult, and semi-professional level players, "Kikuchi" was ranked top, and received an award of excellence.
This achievement provided her an opportunity to release her first Electone instrumental album, when she was 17 years old.
And at the same time, she began to travel overseas, like United States, Mexico, Philippine etc, to play the Electone. It was perhaps because she had been requested to be a demonstrator of the Electone from the promoter, since her playing skill was so outstanding at that time.
And after return to Japan, she started her professional career as a pianist.
Starting a career
As a starter, "Kikuchi" became a keyboardist of the backing bands of a few of prominent pop stars like, "Takurō Yoshida", "Tsunehiko Kamijō", "Mayumi Itsuwa", or "Junko Ōhashi".
In around 1975, "Kikuchi" developed an interest in Jazz. She began to study Jazz piano under an expert pianist, "Sadayasu Fujii".
In the course of time, she began to perform the piano at a reputed Jazz big band, "Nobuo Hara, and Sharps & Flats", instead of her teacher, whenever he was not able to perform.
In 1978, "Kikuchi" took part in a newly formed Progressive Jazz big band, "Inner Galaxy Orchestra" led by "Bingo Miki". And in 1979, "Kikuchi" performed the piano at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as a member of "Inner Galaxy Orchestra".
As a solo
On the other hand, "Kikuchi" also formed her own unit, and started started to perform as a leader.
And finally in 1980, "Himiko Kikuchi" released her first solo album, "Don't be stupid", by having supports from various excellent musicians.
It is not known how this big name had come to participate in this album, but a famous American Jazz saxophonist, "Ernie Watts" was invited to this album as a sax player.
Mr. Watts continued to take pert in until "Kikuchi"'s 3rd album, "All right" (1982), so it seems there were someone who believed that "Ernie Watts"'s sax was indispensable for her sound.
Actually, this album "All right" was recorded in the Los Angels, United States, at "Mad Hatter Studio" founded by a prominent Jazz pianist, "Chick Corea" (RIP...).
So, various American studio musicians joined on this album, and therefore, the sound was quite different from initial 2 albums of hers.
In the late '70s to the '80s, there was a lot more collaborations, or interactions between the Japanese musicians and musicians in overseas, particularly the United States.
Since the most of Japanese musicians were quite young, (30 might be the eldest figure), and were longingly looking at shining American musicians, and expert musicians of America were also friendly enough for those young Japanese musicians with high potential.
"Woman"
In 1983, "Himiko Kikuchi" released her 4th album "Woman", as the next of the 3rd album recorded in Los Angels.
The title is self-explanatory. This album took up a daily life of women as a theme. And fashionable Fusion music were given for each moment of everyday life from the morning to the evening, by "Kikuchi".
All the melodies & arrangements are reflecting the titles very well.
And the 4th track, "Funky Panty Girdle" must be a parody of "Funky Monkey Baby", which is a famous hit song, performed by a '70s very popular rock band "Carol", where a popular rock singer "Eikichi Yazawa" once belonged to.
Film score
While "Kikuchi" was constantly releasing a series of nice Jazz Fusion albums, she newly set out to create film scores for a popular "Yakuza" action movie series, in another front.
On this occasion, "Kikuchi" formed a new Brass rock band "BEAMS", which is composed of a standard Jazz quartet, a horn section with 5 players, and a Latin percussions, and recorded a screen music played by this new band.
And she contributed for a hit of this series from music side.
Jazz restaurant & Tottori
In 1999, "Kikuchi"'s husband, and a known expert guitarist, "Masatsugu Matsumoto" inherited a public bathhouse in his home town "Tottri" city, which is located in the western side of Japan, and famous with its big and juicy pears, a local specialty.
Since the bathhouse was a sort of local assets with history, "Matsumoto" & "Kikuchi" decided to continue to operate it, and an entire family of "Kikuchi" left Tokyo, and moved to Tottori for that sake.
Interestingly, "Kikuchi" & "Matsumoto" opened a Jazz restaurant at the same time, on the 2nd floor of the bathhouse, and named it "After hours".
And began to hold Jazz lives at their restaurant, by inviting many Jazz musicians, as well as themselves.
Different from Tokyo, the city of "Tottori" is a typical local town with smaller population, and naturally, the number of Jazz musician is also less.
But thanks to the association of "Kikuchi" & "Matsumoto", quite a few of known Jazz musicians could come from everywhere to their Jazz place, and appear on stage.
Then now a days, "Kikuchi" & "Matsumoto"'s restaurant has become a famous Jazz place not only in the city of Tottori, but also in a larger "San-in" region.
Tottori Jazz
In around 2010, some Jazz musicians & artists, and "Himiko Kikuchi" gathered, and launched a project to begin a street Jazz festival in the down town of Tottori.
The idea took shape in 2011, and started as a local music event called "Tottori Jazz", and "Himiko Kikuchi" became a chair person of executive committee.
Luckily, "Tottori Jazz" has become a regular autumn event in "Tottori", and the local governments of city of Tottori, and Tottori prefecture also are supporting this street Jazz festival.
In 2019, the executive committees of "Tottori Jazz" & Detroit Jazz festival (Michigan, US) agreed to exchange their bands as delegates, and play together at their respective Jazz festivals.
Naturally, "Himiko Kikuchi" became a member of delicates, as a chair person of Tottori Jazz, and also as a member of Tottori Jazz "Sand-Dune Band" (Tottori is also famous with its geological asset, Tottori Sand Dunes.)
And performed in both Detroit Jazz festival, and Tottori Jazz together with the members of "Detroit Jazz All Stars".
Recent
"Himiko Kikuchi" is not only working as a as a chair person of "Tottori Jazz", but she is still quite active as a player.
In 2005, "Kikuchi" formed a group called "Himiko Kikuchi & Double Quartet", which is a combination of Jazz Quartet & String Quartet, and pursuing more Jazz oriented music world.
In 2017, "Kikuchi" also teamed up a Jazz Fusion group, "Himiko Kikuchi Funky Unit" with 3 other talented young musicians, namely, "Dan Yoshikawa" (Dr), "Katsuhiko BJ Sasai" (B), and "Harumo Imai" (Sax), and performing Funky Jazz-rock in various venue & occasions.
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(Ref: www.flyingbeagle.jp,
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Video clip 1
Lastly, we would like to introduce a music clip of "Himiko Kikuchi", playing the electronic organ as the keyboardist of her band, "Himiko Kikuchi Funky Unit", at a live in Tokyo in 2018.
The title of the song is "Bullet train", written in 1981 by a master vibraphonist Mike Mainieri of "Steps Ahead".
"Himiko Kikuchi" teamed up a new quartet in 2017 with young, but powerful musicians like, "Dan Yoshikawa" (Dr), "Katsuhiko BJ Sasai" (B), and "Harumo Imai" (Sax), and have started to play more funky Jazz-rock, like her early days.
"Himiko Kikuchi"'s amazing keyboard play is still very much alive.
And shining talents of other young musicians are also worth to see.
If you like, please have a look.
Video clip 2
As we referred in "Greeting" section, we would like to introduce the Electone version of "Make Up In the Morning", performed by, seemingly, a high amateur, "Naoko Arai".
She is reproducing a complicated ensemble of "Make Up In the Morning" by only herself with 1 Electone.
But, her arrangement is almost accurately following Himiko Kikuchi's original, so, we think you can get better idea of the original song.
"Naoko Arai" seems to be an Electone enthusiast, and has been competing in various music contest since early years.
We are sure she will be a leading player, and take over the scene in the future.
There is just a bit of miss touches, but they are not spoiling her great performance at all.
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
1
(試聴する)
As refered in the greeting section, there are no exact sample available in the music shops at the moment.
So, if you do wish to check the sample of original song, please look for it at the online video platforms like YouTube.
AD: Listening samples (Free)
music.apple.com (track.01)
1
Amazon JP(en)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | Make Up in the Morning |
|---|---|
| Artist | 菊池ひみこ(Himiko Kikuchi) |
| Album Title | Woman |
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