Kimiko Itoh
Japanese jazz vocalist known for her 1989 album Follow Me.
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Kimiko Itoh is a Japanese jazz singer born on the island of Shikoku in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University with a degree in oil painting, she studied under Yasushi Sawada. She made her debut in 1982 with her first jazz album, "Birdland." In 1989, she released the album "フォロー・ミー(FOLLOW ME)" simultaneously in Japan and the United States, which ranked 16th in the Radio & Records Contemporary Jazz charts. Swing Journal voted Kimiko Number 1 female vocalist in 1988–1996.
History
Kimiko Itoh released her first album, "Birdland," in 1982. She joined EPIC/Sony Records in 1986 and won a Japanese jazz vocal prize that year. The album "For Lovers Only" came out in 1987, followed by a release from CBS Columbia in 1988. In 1989, "Follow Me" ranked 16th on Radio & Records' contemporary jazz list.
She issued "A Natural Woman" in 1990. Itoh won the Swing Journal grand prix jazz disk for Japanese vocalist in 1992. The album "Standards My Way" appeared in 1993, earning the same Swing Journal award. A live performance at the Japan Society Hall in New York City in 1994 was released as "Evening with Kimiko Itoh" on CD, videotape, and laser disc.
She released "Sophisticated Lady" in 1996. In 1997, she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival as a duo with Makoto Ozone, and the live recording "At the Montreux Jazz Festival" was issued. The album "Kimiko," produced by Makoto Ozone, won the 2000 Swing Journal jazz disk grand prix for Japanese vocalist. Several of her recordings are available from Videoarts Music.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Kimiko Itoh (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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