Jazz clubs in Japan

[Ezuro]

Can someone with experience with the Japanese jazz scene recommend jazz clubs in Japan (Osaka area preferred, but Tokyo/Yokohama venues also appreciated)? I'd like to find some affordable hangouts that feature traditional styles of jazz.

Japan enjoys a reputation for its vibrant jazz community, but I moved here this year, so I'm still learning my way around. Also, I prefer jazz clubs that focus more on traditional jazz, gypsy jazz, or big band, as opposed to funk, j-pop fusion, etc.

Any advice is appreciated.

[frabarmus]

Hi there,
My wife is Japanese, so I remember going to a couple of small but really nice Jazz Clubs in Kyoto (sorry, I don't remember the names!) in the early 90's. I've also been to the famous Pitt Inn and Blue Note in Tokyo. I also remember a nice Jazz Club in Yokohama (don't remember the name, either). Overall I remember the level of Japanese Jazzers as being very high... I mean: great musicianship! In the year 2004, Jazz guitarist Akio Sasajima&family spent the Summer in Italy in the same building where I live... I've been in touch with him until a couple of years ago and I know he owns a jazz-club in Sapporo, called "The Living Room" (if my memory is correct).

So, you moved to Japan... whre from?

[Ezuro]

I visited a place in Kyoto last month called Zac Baran. I'll be in Sapporo in late August, so I'll be sure to look up your friend's place.

I'll be in Tokyo at the beginning of August, so I'd still like to find a scene to check out there as well.

I moved here in April from Los Angeles.

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[frabarmus]

Also: I met pianist Eri Yamamoto in Italy (2008, or so) and hanged out with her. I like her playing a lot. She lives and works in New York but obviously gigs a lot in Japan aswell. If you can get in touch with her on some social media (Jazz Guitar Forum is my only social medium, I don't even have Facebook) she'll undoubtedly know all the Jazz venues in Japan.

[JazzPadd]

Jazz guitarist Joshua Breakstone tours Japan. He recently did a couple of shows with the pianist Phillip Strange at Bonds Rosary in Kyoto. He has also played at Kesera in Osaka, and Slow Boat, Cafe ‘S Monk and D-Bop in Sapporo. Joshua is on FB. There used to be a website, at least before corona, that lists Tokyo area jazz jam sessions. That led me to jam sessions at a couple of small jazz clubs in Tokyo, one of them near Waseda University that had several great young players. The site and club names escape me at the moment. The jazz bassist Osamu Koichi put together the two volume “Jazz Standard Bible” that is used at sessions; it’s on Amazon Japan.

[paulkogut]

Are you on Facebook? Reach out to guitarist/journalist Hiro Yamanaka Log into Facebook | Facebook
He knows the jazz guitar scene as well as anyone. We've done a number of successful duo tours in the small 'kissa' clubs from Mito City down to Osaka. Sadly, a few of the clubs, like Montgomeryland Tokyo have closed in recent years, but I think Chigusa Yokohama has reopened.

There's a great guitar shop in Osaka , Miki Gakki 三木楽器オンラインショップ | 【公式】総合通販サイト
I've done clinics and played in their booth four Sound Messe. I've also done clinics at Hoochies Tokyo Guitar shop Hoochie's , and a few other shops that I'd have to look up

Best wishes for your search!



PK




http://www.paulkogut.com
paulkogutmusic - YouTube





PK




http://www.paulkogut.com
paulkogutmusic - YouTube

[Ezuro]

Are you on Facebook? Reach out to guitarist/journalist Hiro Yamanaka Log into Facebook | Facebook
He knows the jazz guitar scene as well as anyone. We've done a number of successful duo tours in the small 'kissa' clubs from Mito City down to Osaka. Sadly, a few of the clubs, like Montgomeryland Tokyo have closed in recent years, but I think Chigusa Yokohama has reopened.

There's a great guitar shop in Osaka , Miki Gakki ????????????? | ???????????
I've done clinics and played in their booth four Sound Messe. I've also done clinics at Hoochies Tokyo Guitar shop Hoochie's , and a few other shops that I'd have to look up

Best wishes for your search!



PK




http://www.paulkogut.com
paulkogutmusic - YouTube





PK




http://www.paulkogut.com
paulkogutmusic - YouTube

I'll definitely look these places up. Thank you. Do any of those guitar shops in Osaka have a luthier you can recommend? I just bought a Squire CV Tele, and it has some fret buzzes, so I'm afraid it needs a setup.

That's what I get for ordering online.

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[Ezuro]

Jazz guitarist Joshua Breakstone tours Japan. He recently did a couple of shows with the pianist Phillip Strange at Bonds Rosary in Kyoto. He has also played at Kesera in Osaka, and Slow Boat, Cafe ‘S Monk and D-Bop in Sapporo. Joshua is on FB. There used to be a website, at least before corona, that lists Tokyo area jazz jam sessions. That led me to jam sessions at a couple of small jazz clubs in Tokyo, one of them near Waseda University that had several great young players. The site and club names escape me at the moment. The jazz bassist Osamu Koichi put together the two volume “Jazz Standard Bible” that is used at sessions; it’s on Amazon Japan.

Wow, I hadn't heard the name Joshua Breakstone in 20 years. I studied music in college, but I've forgotten a lot.

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[paulkogut]

I'm not sure who's the in-house luthier at Miki Gakki at the moment, but I'm sure anyone there would do an excellent job for your setup.

Best wishes for your music!

PK

[Ezuro]

... There used to be a website, at least before corona, that lists Tokyo area jazz jam sessions. That led me to jam sessions at a couple of small jazz clubs in Tokyo, one of them near Waseda University that had several great young players ...

Is this the website?: Jazz.Tokyo - Enjoy Live & Jam session nights in Tokyo

[JazzPadd]

Is this the website?: Jazz.Tokyo - Enjoy Live & Jam session nights in Tokyo

That could be the one! It had a very similar calendar format where you could look at any given night and have places to play at, although as I recall (this was perhaps 5-6 years ago) there was a broader range of venues. Intro was definitely one of the places that I jammed at, it had a small house band and the bartender (who was also the house master) called people up to play from a sign-in sheet. I had my travel guitar, and got to play two tunes. As the night wore on it was packed shoulder to shoulder, not just players, also lots of students hanging out listening. Cotton Club and Bells are among the very well-known Tokyo jazz venues, although seem to have a different vibe. The times I was passing through Tokyo I ended up at the smaller clubs, like Intro. At one, the house master/bartender was a guitarist who had his Les Paul hanging behind the bar; he let me play it when I wandered in without a guitar. Similar to Intro, it felt more like a community hang-out than a jazz club. In any case, the three venues on that website are a good start and will certainly keep you busy jamming out in Tokyo. Enjoy your time, and do let us know how it goes!

[sgosnell]

There's a club called Juhla in Tokyo that has Hirofumi Asaba playing regularly, AFAIK. He has a lot of YouTube videos, mostly duos with a bassist, and he's good. I don't know what else they have there. All I know is what I've seen on YouTube.H

[Ezuro]

There's a club called Juhla in Tokyo that has Hirofumi Asaba playing regularly, AFAIK. He has a lot of YouTube videos, mostly duos with a bassist, and he's good. I don't know what else they have there. All I know is what I've seen on YouTube.H

Thanks for the tip. I looked him up on YouTube, and he sounds great.

I will definitely try to catch him at Juhla while I'm in town.



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[wintermoon]

That guy is obviously really into Barney Kessel, from the ES 350 guitar w chicken head control knobs, to his playing.

[Ezuro]

That guy is obviously really into Barney Kessel, from the ES 350 guitar w chicken head control knobs, to his playing.

That's probably what I like about his playing. I've always loved Barney Kessel.

[sgosnell]

Yeah, he's into Kessel and Christian. He did a whole series of jazz songs, a couple a week, going from A to Z. Some were a stretch, especially the Z, to get a matching title. Now he's doing an "Exploring the Scene" series, and using mostly Charlie Christian tunes, at least at the start. I enjoy his playing, I suppose mostly because that's the type of music I like.