Live in Japan

Smart and accomplished, West Coast vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia releases her 15th recording, Live In Japan, on the heels of her well-received Social Anthems, Volume 1 (Origin Records, 2021). Live In Japan is a retrospective December 1992 performance that pairs the singer with her frequent collaborator, pianist Phillip Strange. Recorded in Osaka during the holidays, Segal-Garcia sprinkles her two generous sets with enough seasonal music to qualify as a Christmas offering had it been released earlier. Segal-Garcia is daring and sophisticated when interpreting the Great American Songbook. The singer kicks things off with "I'm In The Mood For Love" replete with vocalese courtesy of James Moody, establishing the high bar her performance would sustain through "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, "Honeysuckle Rose," and "I've Got Rhythm." Strange's playing is warm and sprite, brimming with humor and community. The pair end the recital on a mid-1940s note, pairing a swing-tinged "Sentimental Journey" with a tender and introspective "The Christmas Song," making Live In Japan worthy of its resurrection from the catalog.