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Reviewed by Chloe Cairncross

Miho Wada: Live At The Lab

Reviewed by Chloe Cairncross

Miho Wada: Live At The Lab

Miho Wada is an incredibly accomplished musician whose style is cited as ‘Afro-Cuban flute meets J-Pop’. She also proves discerning in her choice of talented musicians for her band, Miho’s Jazz Orchestra. As this is her seventh album and the MJO’s fourth output, the bar was already set pretty high. The 13 tracks are all performed with love and attention to detail, providing a rip-roaring interplay of flute, sax, electric violin, cello and guitars. Bursting straight into the bubbly and effervescent The Dark Side of Bouncy Castle, the audience is assured that this will be a night of frivolity and dancing. Most of the set is joyous and upbeat, you can almost feel the band members smiling along. Cherry Beer, a new song performed for the occasion, is notably slower – wistful and stirringly atmospheric. Between The Sheets showcases Miho’s sultry sax playing, titillating imagination… until she admits at the end of the song that the track was innocently written because she was too tired to get out of bed one morning. I definitely prefer the sax-led tracks, the jazz flute reminding me too much of Ron Burgundy serenading Baxter… However, the fans asked for a live set, and they sure as heck get a stellar toe-tapper.