Kimiko Kasai

Kimiko Kasai — 笠井紀美子 (born Dec. 10, 1945) — is a Japanese jazz vocalist who released a clutch of live and collaborative recordings on assorted labels during the early 1970s, culminating with her solo-studio debut Umbrella, released in 1972 on Liberty. Between 1973 and 1986, she released 14 album on CBS/Sony.

Kimiko Kasai was born in Kyoto, Japan, where she first became interested in jazz after hearing “All About Ronnie” by American vocalist Chris Connor. At 16, she hit the Tokyo nightclub scene. In 1967, she made her recording debut with The Modern Playing Mate, a jazz quintet signed to Union Records.

In 1970, Kasai sang four numbers with the Ono Yuji Trio on the multi-artist double-album Trio By Trio + 1, released on Victor World. That same year, she cut her first album, Just Friends, released on London Records as part of their New Emotional Work Series. It was recorded at a concert date with the Yuji Ohno Trio. In 1971, she got featured status on the albums One for Lady by Mal Waldron (Victor World) and Yellow Carcass In the Blue by Kosuke Mine Quartet (Three Blind Mice).

Discography:

• Just Friends – Kasai Kimiko Concert (1970)
  
• Yellow Carcass in the Blue (1971 • Kimiko Kasai With Kosuke Mine Quartet)
  
• Satin Doll (1972 • Kimiko Kasai With Gil Evans Orchestra)
  
• Umbrella (1972)
  
• In Person (1973)
  
• Kimiko Is Here – With the Cedar Walton Trio Live at Pitt Inn (1974)
  
• This Is My Love (1975)
  
• We Can Fall in Love (1976)
  
• Tokyo Special (1977)
  
• One for Lady (1978 • Kimiko Kasai & Mal Waldron)
  
• Round and Round (1978)
  
• Butterfly (1979 • Kimiko Kasai with Herbie Hancock)
  
• Kimiko (1982)
  
• Love Talk (1984)
  
• New Pastel (1984)
  
• My One and Only Love (1986)
• Perigo a Noite ‎(1987) 

Sources:

• Discogs: Kimiko Kasai