Painted Woman by Masaki Matsubara (1983)

Japan is filled with various talented guitar virtuosos. Most people immediately point to Masayoshi Takanaka when mentioning Japanese guitarists. However, another great guitarist in the Japanese pantheon is Masaki Matsubara, who's considered one of the most prolific sessions guitarists ever.

Born in 1954 in Takefu City, Fukui Prefecture (now Echizen City), Matsubara Started playing the trombone in a brass band when he entered junior high school. During his second year of junior high, he would discover his love of the guitar and become absorbed in band activities. After graduating from high school, he entered the Nemu Music Academy (located in Nemu no Sato, Mie Prefecture at the time), but moved to Tokyo half a year later on the advice of his teacher. After graduating college and working in a US military camp band, he became a prolific studio musician throughout the late 70s' & 80s', participating in over 10,000 recordings.

Masaki Matsubara's most popular project, at least in City Pop circles, would have to be his 4th album from November 1983, Painted Woman. The album features the vocal talents of AOR singer Eric Tagg and the Okinawan sister trio Eve. The session band includes the talents of Jake Conception (sax), Hiroshi Shinkawa (synths), percussionist Nobuo Saito, and bassist Mike Dunn. coincidentally the latter two would join Matsubara in the jazz fusion band Parachute.

THE MUSIC

1. Make It With Me⭐⭐⭐
   
2. Night Scanners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Shining Star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Silly Crush ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Tequila Toast ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. S.O.S. (Society Of Soul) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Painted Woman⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Sunset Lullaby ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Pacific Coast Highway ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Sky High ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

VERDICT 

If I wanted to sum up Painted Woman with one word; classy. Everything about the album oozes sophistication and swagger, from the front album cover to the moment the needle drops and you hear that groovy guitar accompanied by a thumping beat in "Make it With Me". Masaki Matsubara's masterful smooth guitar chops shine all the way through every track. It's also a nice balance between instrumental tracks and vocal heavy ones. Sometimes the album decides it wants to be a Quincy Jones production, with songs like "Shining Star" sounding straight off  The Dude. Other times it feels like a Kenny Loggins album, thanks to the smooth vocals of Eric Tagg in songs like "Silly Crush" and "Painted Woman" and half the time it sounds like something Masayoshi Takanaka or T-Square would have put together. But no matter what, it pulls it off with nigh-perfection. If you want to experience the best of Japanese fusion, Masaki Matsubara's Painted Woman  is one of the best options there is.