Dixie Fever

Description

Wewantsounds concludes its reissue series of Makoto Kubota's albums with the release of Dixie Fever, recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors Sunset Gang and Hawaii Champroo, Dixie Fever continues to explore genre blending with a clever mix of blues, swamp funk, and R&B, adding a touch of exoticism with Hawaiian influences. A year after the release of the highly acclaimed Hawaii Champroo in 1975, Makoto Kubota and The Sunset Gang reunited at the Sounds of Hawaii studios with Haruomi Hosono as co-producer to record a new album. They used much of the same ingredients that had made its predecessor a success—a blend of Japanese folk and American roots music with a touch of exoticism. It was the same style of blending that Haruomi Hosono practiced solo at the time, particularly with the album Tropical Dandy, which experimented with similar ideas. The covers of Tropical Dandy and Dixie Fever were both illustrated by Yasuo Yagi. As with the two previous albums, Dixie Fever includes a majority of original compositions accompanied by a few covers such as "Wild About My Lovin'" by The Lovin' Spoonful and a country-funk version of "When I Was a Cowboy" by British musician Ralph McTell. The usual members of the Sunset Gang are present: Keni Inoue on guitar, Yosuke Fujita on slide guitar, and Takashi Onzo on bass and keyboards. They are joined by a handful of guests including Tatsuo Hayashi, drummer of Tin Pan Alley, percussionist Motoya Hamaguchi, and New Orleans pianist and friend of Dr. John, Ronnie Barron. In the studio, the magic happens, and the blending of genres works wonderfully. One of the album's highlights is undoubtedly "Hoshikuzu (Stardust)," which has become a classic on the international City Pop scene over the years, and whose sunny groove perfectly reflects the band's musicality and spirit. The track adds a West Coast touch that perfects the charm of Dixie Fever, one of the essential albums of the 1970s Japanese scene, which Wewantsounds is happy to present to an international audience. Dixie Fever is released for the first time outside Japan, with its original cover, OBI, booklet, and sound remastered by Makoto Kubota himself.