Pinky Winters in Tokyo

The Frank Sinatra Society of Japan began planning nearly a year ago to bring singer Pinky Winters to Japan for the celebration of their main man's 91st birthday and the 25th anniversary of the group itself. And this afternoon against the background of Tokyo Bay at the elegant Crystal Yacht Club, it finally came to pass. She held a large contingent of the SSJ in the palm of her hand for an hour-and-a-quarter afternoon performance of songs associated with FS. It was an amazing turn thanks in no small part to the contribution of two very fine young Tokyo musicians, Kiyoshi Morita (piano) and Masahiko Taniguchi (bass), with whom Pinky only had the luxury of a couple of hours of rehearsal. The cliche regarding Tokyo musicians that they are as adept as any pleyers in the world---if not more so---at turning around on a dime appears to be true if Morita and Taniguchi are any example. It was as if Pinky and her "boys" had worked together for years. The threesome have two more gigs together before Pinky heads back home to the U.S mid-month. Hard to imagine, but they will probably even get better and better. Even managed to make Pinky's encore of "New York New York" swing!

If I had my way I would probably stay in this wonderful city forever. I have never witnessed a hipper or more receptive audience than the one Pinky performed for this afternoon. After the show was over she spent nearly an equal amount of time as she did performing signing many copies of her three SSJ/Cellar Door recording which the crowd had lined up to buy.

Pinky's first but surely not last visit to Japan.