Artist: 石黒ケイ (Kay Ishiguro) Album: Yokohama Ragtime Release: Apr 21, 1982 (Japan) Genre: Japanese pop / City pop / AOR / funk-leaning pop Label: Invitation • VIH-28078 (original) Format: LP / later CD reissues Structural Notes: Studio pop-fusion album with rhythmic grooves and melodic, Yokohama-themed tracks
Yokohama Ragtime is Kay Ishiguro’s 1982 album built around a concept of Yokohama’s urban vibe, combining city-pop rhythms, funk and soul-inflected grooves, and melodic pop songwriting over a set of tracks like “雨,” “Driving Crazy～第3京浜,” and “横浜ホンキートンク・ブルース.” The record’s sequencing ties together uptempo numbers and mellow interludes that reflect early-’80s Japanese pop production aesthetics and the crossover appeal of AOR/funk elements within a city pop framework.