(Vocal Jazz,Orchestral Jazz) JUJU - Delicious: JUJU's Jazz 2nd Dish - 2013, MP3, 320 kbps

For Juju, jazz is for the ages. The popular young singer says she wanted to become a jazz artist when she was 12. It was her hope to be able to sing jazz with maturity and devotion by the time she turned 80. However, a turn of Fortune's wheel has already brought her to the release of her second jazz album.
The new album, "Delicious: Juju's Jazz 2nd Dish", was recently released by Sony Music Associated Records Inc and involved more arrangers than her first jazz album, "Delicious", to give it a different sound. "Delicious", which was released in November 2011 more by chance than anything else, became the first jazz album to be ranked in the top five on Oricon's music charts.
Although jazz is in Juju's blood, she has produced albums in other genres, including one that became a hit last year.
After graduating from high school, she took off for New York by herself. Although Juju had no friends to rely on, she started to live it up in the stimulating atmosphere of fashion and music, often finding herself at hip-hop clubs.
"I like hip-hop, R&B and house [music]," she says. "But I realised I was becoming interested in too many music genres."
Watching musicians who were devoted to jazz, she was ashamed of her approach to music. "So I made up my mind to set aside jazz and wait until I became a true professional jazz singer."
Juju made her debut in Japan in 2004, about 10 years after she first went to the United States. A few years later, she received an offer to work for a joint project with Snoopy, a popular character in the U.S. comic strip "Peanuts". Juju quickly related Snoopy to jazz. Having heard the jazzy soundtracks of "Peanuts" animation films since she was very young, she thought of no other music.
But she felt it was too early to release a jazz album.
"I was nervous about the release but making the album was so much fun. I realised how much I liked jazz for the first time in more than 10 years."
She also thought it was too soon to release the second jazz album.
In late January, just before setting out on a tour that would last almost six months, Juju was asked to sing "Take Five" for a TV drama. She was also asked to appear in the drama. Although not too happy with the conditions, Juju accepted.
"For the first time I seriously examined the lyrics for all possibilities related to five minutes [referred to in the song]. It was a moving experience," she says. "I was offered a song that everybody knows and couldn’t miss the opportunity."
Jazz is often shunned by people who find it difficult to understand. But Juju hopes young people, particularly women, will listen to her new album to popularise the genre’s appeal.
"Of course, I want jazz enthusiasts to hear it," she said. "Trust me, they won't complain that it’s just a J-pop extension."
Juju's new album includes many popular numbers, such as "Summertime", "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "In a Sentimental Mood".
She also gives a powerful rendition of Harry Connick Jr's "We Are In Love" with an attractive lilt to it.
"More Than You Know" has been sung by many famous singers, but Juju said she likes the version sung by Michelle Pfeiffer in the film "The Fabulous Baker Boys".