Customer Reviews

Smokey & Miho

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The smooth, versatile rock guitarist Smokey Hormel (known for his work with Tom Waits, Beck, and others) and vocalist Miho Hatori (of Cibo Matto fame) teamed up out of their mutual appreciation for the haunting 1966 album, "Os Afro Sambas," a Brazilian bossa nova classic by guitarist Baden Powell and poet Vinicius De Moraes that remains mysteriously hard to find, even in this golden age of collector reissues. The Smokey & Miho band formed in 2001 to recreate the entire album in a series of live performances; their first 5-song EP, "Smokey & Miho," built on the mellow, lounge-y bossa vibe (but was mostly made up of original Hatori-Hormel material, along with a cover of an obscure Angolan pop song by Euclides F. Pereira). On their follow-up EP, they stick to the old stuff, covering four songs off the original "Afro Sambas" album, as well as a fifth vintage Powell/De Moraes composition, "Consolacao." The entire "Tempo De Amor" EP is a delight -- Hatori's vocals recapture the feel of the original vocals by the all-female Quarteto Em Cy, while Hormel's fluid guitar work is able to build apon Powell's haunting music, bringing a new modern warmth to the spooky source material. Fans of classic Brazilian bossa nova should love this affectionate homage. Highly recommended!

This is a fun, chill album. Throw it on and get your house shoes on. Put the lights down low, get a drink and settle in for a good jazzy mellow time. None of the explosive jams from her Cibo Matto days, but Miho still brings the goods to this collaboration with Smokey Hormel. Don't expect Cibo Matto, because Cibo Matto this is not, but it's still very good, and worth your time.