Before I buy an LP, I would look for the album online to listen. There are exceptions, like Walter/Wendy Carlos who is known not to publish any of his/her albums on streaming platforms. And then I came across this enigmatic album, titled “Luna Park”. Actually, when I initially saw the album cover, I did not know which was the title and which was the name. I mean, if there is a “Linkin Park” band, then “Luna Park” could well be an artist name. Plus, “DEBORAH” could also be an album title.
Usually, a quick search online would get me the answer. But it only shows results of this very album. And another interesting thing is that this album title appears to only have “promo” copies. I have yet to find anyone selling a non-promo LP album of this title. This means a non-promo copy is rarer than a promo copy. Why was this so? Did the album ever get launched?
Eventually, I found some interesting facts. “DEBORAH” is the group name of the Maeda sisters. Yuki Maeda is the vocalist and Shizu is the pianist. While I could not find any album tracks to listen online, I found Yuki Maeda’s albums on YouTube called “Jazz Age: Gershwin Song Book”. From these albums, I got to hear Yuki’s vocal style and decided that I should just buy “Luna Park” and listen.
The album turns out to be a lovely record of the beautiful collaboration between the sisters. The album starts with a one-minute excerpt of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue performed by Shizu which I’d wish I could get a longer version. Then after setting the tone, Yuki enters with her rendition of ‘S Wonderful, evoking vaudeville charm
Full tracklist:
- Prologue – Rhapsody in Blue (1:06)
- ’S Wonderful (3:12)
- He Loves and She Loves (3:03)
- Promenade (2:53)
- In the Swim (3:19)
- For You, For Me, For Evermore (3:20)
- Three-Quarter Blues (2:06)
- Summertime (2:40)
- Poppyland (4:03)
- Do-Do-Do (3:21)
- Rialto Ripples (2:19)
- Shall We Dance (1:32)
- Embraceable You (3:36)
- Epilogue – Rhapsody in Blue (1:05)
The sequencing makes the album feel like a musical performance in acts, opening and closing with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, while weaving through playful vaudeville numbers, heartfelt ballads, jazz standards, and solo piano interludes. Beneath the theatricality, there’s a precision in tone and diction that reflects classical training, giving their Gershwin renditions a polished finish.
Where are the Maeda Sisters in 2026?
Yuki remains active and performs regularly in Japan. She updates her schedule on her website http://www.maedayuki.com/. On her discrography page, she has released more than a dozen albums, the last in 2013. Shizu also runs a website at http://shezoo.cocolog-nifty.com/ and posts on social media (link on her website). But Luna Park remains their one and only analog album released and without any streaming platform hosting it, this is the only way you get to listen to the performance.
