This incredible 3 CD set of Shizuko Kasagi (1914-1985) originally released in 1989 has just got a welcome re-release. Shizuko Kasagi is one of Japan's greatest ever entertainers, as a singer, dancer and film actress. Before World War II, she was one of the stars of the Japan Girls Opera Company. Following the war and the American occupation she became a mega star singing songs influenced by American jazz and boogie woogie. The songs were mostly composed by the great Ryoichi Hattori and a had a fantastic swing and rhythm with Kasagi's powerful vocals to the fore. The 3 CDs contains almost all her recorded output (apparently missing only four songs) including her biggest hit Tokyo Boogie-Woogie, Rappa to Musume (Bugle and Girl) recorded with a big band before the war, the southeast Asian flavoured Aire Kawaiya (1946) and Jungle Boogie (1948) the theme tune to the movie Yoidore Tenshi/Drunken Angel directed by Akira Kurosawa.
