[93.6.30] The Music of Shakatak [
www.shakatak.com]
這是鮪魚要介紹的另一個 25 歲的爵士團體. 老實說, 國中不知幾年級時鮪魚表哥送了 Shakatak 的 Night Birds 與 Sadao Watanabe 的 Front Seat 作為生日禮物, 也開啟了鮪魚對爵士音樂的喜愛. Shakatak 是英國團體, 音樂融合合唱, Soul, Funk, 爵士, 舞曲, 拉丁曲風, 近年明顯感到又加入許多 Smooth Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Lounge 等新的音樂元素, 由他們忙碌的演奏行程可以了解實際上該團的確成功地跟隨時代的腳步前進. Shakatak 獨特的音樂魅力來自成功混合Vocal 的優美, 拉丁與舞曲的動感, 爵士合聲與即興的音樂性與流暢. 樂評們對他們的音樂常用的形容詞包括 Cool, Jazzy, Laid Back, Groove... 他們的慢板曲子更有一種 Classy 的雅痞感, 很適合在車上長途旅行時獨享. Jill Saward 的女聲自然是 Shakatak 具高度辨識性的招牌, 但早年鮪魚更對 Bill Sharpe 的 keyboard 彈奏驚嘆不已, 此外, 其實 Keith Winter 的 Guitar 也頗具獨特的魅力.
團員: Jill Saward (lead vocs), Bill Sharpe (Keys), Keith Winter (gtr), George Anderson (bs gtr) and Roger Odell (drs), Keith Winter 不彈之後則見 Fridrik Karlsson 當 guess guitarist.
一開始 Record Shack 以郵寄的方式幫他們銷售錄製的第一首單曲, 結果被 Polydor Records 發掘並贊助他們一紙唱片契約. 用 Shack 加上 Attack 兩字合在一起取了 Shakatak 這個名字.
成名曲包括 Easier said than done (top 20, 17 weeks on chart), Night Birds (top 10, 6 months on chart), Invitation, Out of this world,
光是 1982 年在歐洲與日本就有 132 場演出. Day by Day - 與 Al Jerreau 合作. 在 1984 - 89 期間在日本相當活躍. 後來吉他手 Keith Winter 得了重病無法演奏, 而現在改做 Internet Service Provider/寫網頁.
90 年代 ”Perfect Smile” 專輯 - Top 10 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart (...an eclectic mix of breezy jazz, cool electricity, and sultry vocals...), ”Open your eyes” - 12th on Chart.
93-94 年的產出包括 ”Street Level”, ”Under the Sun”, ”The Christmas Album”(一定要去找這一張), ”Full Circle”, ”Brazilian Love Affair”
97 年的 Let the Piano Play 融合一些新的 Grooves 元素. 進入 2000 年後, 則出產了 ”The Best Of Jazz Connections 1 & 2”, ”The Magic Of Shakatak”, ”Dinner Jazz” and ”Smooth Solos” 的精選輯.
鮪魚個人覺得 Smooth Solos 的風格又有許多改變, 更具時代感, 主要是選自團員自己的專輯 -
Bill Sharpe ”State of the heart”
Espirito ”Piece of mind” (Bill Sharpe + Fridrik Karlsson)
Jill Saward ”Just for you”
Fridrik Karlsson ”A New Day”
Roger Odell’s Beatifik ”The Blue Window”
附錄: Shakatak 專輯列表
DRIVIN’ HARD May 1981 Polydor
NIGHT BIRDS May 1982 Polydor
INVITATIONS November 1982 Polydor
OUT OF THIS WORLD October 1983 Polydor
DOWN ON THE STREET August 1984 Polydor
SHAKATAK LIVE February 1985 Polydor
DAY BY DAY/CITY RHYTHM November 1985 Polydor
INTO THE BLUE June 1986 Polydor
GOLDEN WINGS June 1987 Polydor
NEVER STOP YOUR LOVE
December 1987 Polydor
MANIC & COOL April 1988 Polydor
DA MAKANI May 1988 Polydor
COOLEST CUTS October 1988 Polydor
THE VERY BEST OF SHAKATAK October 1988 Polydor
NIGHTFLITE June 1989 Polydor
TURN THE MUSIC UP October 1989 Polydor
FIESTA June 1990 Polydor
GREATEST GROOVES July 1990 Connoisseur
PERFECT SMILE
October 1990 Polydor
NIGHT MOVES December 1990 Pickwick
BITTER SWEET April 1991 Polydor
UTOPIA June 1991 Polydor
OPEN YOUR EYES October 1991 Polydor
THE REMIX BEST ALBUM December 1991 Polydor
STREET LEVEL March 1993 Inside Out
UNDER THE SUN November 1993 Inside Out
THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM December 1993 Inside Out
FULL CIRCLE October 1994 Inside Out
JAZZ CONNECTIONS 1-6 July 1996 Inside Out
LET THE PIANO PLAY August 1997 Inside Out
THE COLLECTION 1 March 1998 Spectrum
LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTTS April 1998 Indigo
SHININ’ ON
May 1998 Instinct Jazz
VIEW FROM THE CITY January 1999 Inside Out
MAGIC August 1999 Instinct Jazz
JAZZ IN THE NIGHT
December 1999 Inside Out
THE COLLECTION 2 September 2000 Spectrum
BEST OF JAZZ CONNECTIONS 1
December 2000 Inside Out
THE MAGIC OF SHAKATAK
December 2000 Inside Out
BEST OF JAZZ CONNECTIONS 2
October 2001 Inside Out
UNDER YOUR SPELL October 2001 Inside Out
DINNER JAZZ August 2002 Passion Jazz
SMOOTH SOLOS December 2002 Passion Jazz
BLUE SAVANNAH September 2003 Passion Jazz
