This collaboration between retro pastiche-masters
Pink Martini and
Saori Yuki -- sometimes described as "the
Barbra Streisand of Japan" -- came about after
Yuki heard the group's rendition of her song "Taya Tan" on
Hey Eugene! (she also contributed to the band's holiday album
Joy to the World). It's fitting, then, that
1969's highlights often recall the brooding beauty of the song that sparked this pairing. "Yuuzuki (Evening Moon)"'s sweeping drama and the torchy intimacy of "Ii Janaino Shiawase Naraba (It's Okay If I'm Happy)" are among the moments that do the most justice to
Yuki's still-soaring voice. Like
Streisand, she sounds wonderful singing just about anything, although some of these songs from
1969 ("Mas Que Nada," "Yoake No Scat [Melody for a New Dawn]") harness her vocal power more fully than others ("Puff, the Magic Dragon"). Still,
Pink Martini fans and
Yuki fans will find a lot to enjoy here. ~ Heather Phares