Monday Michiru, having recently released a new album, is also working on new projects with Soul Sauce [Kenichi Yanai] and m-flo [Taku & Verbal.]
Monday's Update -- January 29, 2005 [mondaymichiru.com]
I'm not keen on doing a lot of clubby stuff these days, but when it's with someone [Kenichi Yanai] who's been so great to me as Ken has been all these years, I am more than willing and if anything want to support the project in any way I can. So he did the backtrack, and I came up with the melody and lyrics, calling it "Shooting Star," as I had seen a shooting star just a week before working on the project. It's a nice little funky house number, which will be hitting in Japan around in February from Universal-Japan (I think).
And then info on the m-flo collaboration:
So we [Monday Michiru and m-flow] did a couple of demos, and at this stage, it's really still not in the bag in terms of the commercial, but they've asked me to collaborate on a track for their next album, which I'm really happy to do. The back track is an electro-funk number (is that the right term? I don't know these days...) which Verbal said he was envisioning in the spirit of Fat Boy Slim, and between their chorus part and my other melodies, it looks like it's going to be a really fun thing for me to sing. They like to mix together bits of Japanese with English lyrics, which will be a real challenge for me as I rarely sing in Japanese.
Jazz News: Japanese-American Songstress Monday Michiru Makes her American Debut - Dec 31, 2004
[allaboutjazz.com]
Monday Michiru [discogs.com]
I saw what was supposed to be Toshiko Akiyoshi's farewell concert in Carnegie Hall about a year, year-and-a-half ago, and Monday appeared briefly at the end to do some stage reading for one of the songs. Her mom joked that she was much more famous in Japan, but I had no idea that she had such a following. I have to admit, I'm a little curious to find out what kind of music she makes, considering her parents are such great jazz and big band folks. They put on a hell of a show, too. I'll definitely be on the lookout for an American release when it comes.
Yay! Finally some new Monday Michiru music. I've loved her since the old Mo-Wax days. Such a beautiful voice. I'd love to see her in concert.