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All That Jazz

Japan has embraced jazz like no other genre of Western music. Interest has existed here since the 20s, after which it steadily developed to generate a soft jazz boom during the big-band, dance-hall days of the 30s. Popularity continued to grow during the American Occupation, when the USO were the first to bring such stars as Benny Goodman to Japan to entertain their enlisted personnel. The Officers' Club was the only place to catch these acts until the advent of luxury nightclubs like the New Latin Quarter and the Copa Cabana. Many American musicians who found themselves working for Uncle Sam began teaching local artists how to play. The first major wave of jazz was breaking across Japan, but toward the end of the 50s the dance-hall days were dying. Big bands were crumbling into small combos whose playing styles were evolving into bee-bop and beyond.

By the 60s jazz was developing a new image in Japan. At the beginning of the decade it was lumped in with pop, country and western, and even Hawaiian music. It was at this time that Oscar Peterson invited Toshiko Akiyoshi to study jazz piano at Berkeley. She in turn invited Sadao Watanabe. Toward the end of the decade the first pure jazz clubs were opening— some big and fancy, some small and dirty. Watanabe returned to Japan to teach modern jazz workshops, which were popular with younger people and led more local musicians to form their own groups. This paved the way for the second wave in Japan, but this time it was modern jazz that swept through the scene. At the same time that America's youth was preaching free love and draft dodging, there was an equivalent social, cultural, and intellectual rethinking in Japan. Jazz had taken on the dimensions of an esoteric youth movement. It was mostly snubbed by the establishment, but imensely popular with freedom thinkers. Anyone you meet who was here then will tell you that it was wild. Customs officials were still relatively naive so a lot of drugs made it onto the scene. All the big names and their entourages were touring Japan. Eventually someone was caught and immigration started cracking down on visas for musicians.

By the 70s jazz had become big business and, therefore, part of the establishment again. The first large outdoor festivals were organized and more mainstream, luxury clubs were opening. By the 1980s, however, interest had started to wane. The audience was aging and younger people just weren't taking their place. Before the recent emergence of acid-jazz and jazz-rap, the genre had waited many years to exert an influence (beyond history) on current musical styles. Venues now tend to be extremely up-market and a little too sanitized. It is also hard for young people to afford an interest, as serious amounts of money can change hands for an enthusiast to buy the privilege of simply entering a club.

Pia features comprehensive schedules for venues which will be valuable once you know the musicians. The clubs listed here will help you get to know them.

Body and Soul

Kyoko Seiki recently relocated her snazzy little jazz club in the basement of a brand-new building right around the corner from one of her major competitors, Blue Note. The addition of this club on this block in Aoyama effectively creates a mini jazz village, offering both a high and low-end venue. Body and Soul is low end in terms of cost. The reasonably-priced cover charge does not include any drinks, but unlike Blue Note, it does entitle you stay all night. The lighting is subdued and the interior is sophisticated, solid, and unscuffed (except for one panel taken from the mama's previous venue which was signed by some of the club's more famous performers). The stage area is surrounded by tables and chairs which are backed by a bar with high stools and a balcony with more tables and chairs. These seating levels are tiered so that everyone has a good view. The mama is as vigilant as a Ginza hostess in administering to her regular customers, but the overall atmosphere is pretty loose.

Open from 6:30 p.m. till 12 a.m.

Monday to Saturday. First set at

8 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

Anise Minami-aoyama Bldg.

B1F,

6-13-9 Minami-aoyama,

Minato-ku.

(03) 5466-3348

¥¥¥¥

Blue Note

Meanwhile on the high end of the scene, customers at this venue are being scalped ¥8,000 plus at the door for the pleasure of plugging into a one-hour set. This hefty cover charge does not include drinks. The club features only famous overseas acts and equally famous local ones. Many jazz buffs will go to this venue only if these stars are not playing at another more reasonably-priced venue. The management says they can't make it any cheaper—the New York club costs US$40 (around ¥5,000) anyway. Because the sets are so short and the entry entitles you to only one, this venue is possibly best used for catching vocalists. Instrument-led groups are just starting to cook at the end of an hour, which can be frustrating for both the audience and the act. The interior is spacious and airy with a sunken seating area faced by an elevated stage. All the walls are mirrored and every seat is good. Even if you get stuck behind someone with a bouffant hairdo, you will have a good view of the stage.

Open from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m.

Monday to Saturday. First set at

7:30 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

FIK Bldg. B1F,

5-13-3 Minami-aoyama,

Minato-ku.

(03) 3407-5781

¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥+

G•H Nine

This is a subdued and sophisticated jazz spot delivering a mixed bag of local acts for less than you would be scalped for in other better-known clubs. It is definitely worth the effort to make your way to Ueno if you don't already live or work in the area. The club is located directly under the glass pyramid which gives the Uno Building its distinctive look, but which makes heating a little difficult during winter. It consists of a main floor and mezzanine, which are connected by a slightly wobbly metal staircase. You must be seated to watch the show, but with three sets throughout the night, the turnover of tables seems to accommodate everyone interested. Reservations would be advised for more popular acts. If you're really unlucky and can't get a seat, the building's first floor coffee shop shows a large screen simulcast of what's going on upstairs. They serve stylish-looking cocktails but fairly average beers, with only Grolsch to break the monotony. Food is also available.

Open from 6 p.m. till 12 a.m.

every night. First set at 7 p.m.

Uno Bldg. 9F,

4-4-6 Ueno,

Taito-ku.

(03) 3837-2525

¥¥

Vagabond

A reassuringly-solid central staircase fashioned from heavy wooden banisters forms the entrance to this poky jazz club. Upstairs, the walls are covered with an assortment of posters and paintings, the ceiling is hung with a jumble of potted plants and dried flowers, the lightshades are draped with lace doilies, and old brass fixtures from railway carriages serve as bag racks. The retro nature of all these decorations and the overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia from being crammed in among all this stuff, make you feel like you've stumbled into your grandmother's parlor. It is a fabulously atmospheric environment in which to sit and sip and listen to some classic skat and blues, or bring some friends and make a night of it. The piano, the back of which juts out precariously over the stairwell, is dusted off every evening from seven p.m. (after which it will be impossible to get a seat) to deliver some suitably lethargic jazz standards. They also feature a basic yakitoriya style menu.

Open from 5:30 p.m. till 11:30

p.m. Monday to Saturday, till

10:30 p.m. on Sunday, and till

11 p.m. on holidays.

1-4-20 Nishi-shinjuku 2F,

Shinjuku-ku.

(03) 3348-9109

¥

Pit Inn

Pit Inn is almost a synonym for jazz in Tokyo. The Roppongi and Shinjuku venues have been serving the local jazz community for more than two decades. The interior of the Roppongi one is spacious, but quickly fills up when the club's more popular acts take the spotlight. Latecomers may be forced to stand or be jammed behind a pillar with zero visibility. Everyone stops talking and pays excruciatingly silent attention when the band kicks in. At this one they feature a mixed bag of jazz genres, including pop and fusion. The Shinjuku Pit Inn recently moved to the basement of a new building, leaving many punters sad that the older, more-settled club has gone. This one features only jazz, which can be taken very seriously by those who say they enjoy it. The audiences in both clubs are a little too well behaved for my liking. If you want to start researching the local jazz scene, however, either of these clubs would be an excellent place to start.

Roppongi: Open from 6:30

p.m. till 10:30 p.m. every day.

First set at 7:30 p.m.

Shimei Bldg. B1F,

3-17-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku.

(03) 3585-1063

¥¥¥¥

Shinjuku: Open from 7 p.m.

till 10:30 p.m. every day.

First set at 7:30 p.m.

Acord Bldg. B1F,

2-12-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku.

(03) 3354-2024

¥¥¥¥

Aketa

You can wander into this jazz venue on any night and find a dedicated group of musicians delivering high-quality jazz. The owner, Aketagawa-san, started out during the modern jazz wave of the 60s and is now a well-known personality and musician on the scene. He is basically one of the lads, because of which his club is firmly plugged into the local circuit. One third of his bar's tiny interior is given over to a stage and the rest is crammed with coffee tables and padded chairs, all of which face the band. The only real interior detail is a colorful, modern mural which creates a fresh, inspirational backdrop for the performers. Once you know who's who on the scene, this would be an excellent low-profile, low-budget venue in which to catch a favorite act. If you're just starting out, you can rely on hearing excellent-quality jazz in whatever style the band is playing. The audience is fairly relaxed, yet respectful, but this will vary according to the act. Definitely worth a visit.

Open from 7 p.m. till 11 p.m.

Sunday to Monday and till 2

a.m. on Saturday. Sometimes a

cheap 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday.

Yoshino Bldg. B1F,

3-21-13 Nishi-ogikita,

Suginami-ku.

(03) 3395-9507

¥¥/¥¥¥

Jirokichi

This is a truly inspiring little jazz, soul, funk, and blues venue right in the heart of Koenji. You can wander in on almost any night and find some eccentric Japanese musician hammering out a tune from one of the genres listed above. A lot of foreigners live in this area and many of them patronize this club. While the Japanese clientele may idle into sit-and-listen mode, some gaijin enthusiasts will also usually wander in and automatically seed the atmosphere with a more animated mood. Once the locals realize that it is acceptable to have fun in the face of jazz, they usually loosen up as well. The Japanese who live in the area have already been exposed to liberal doses of foreign tastes and attitudes, and tend to be cooler anyway. This is definitely one jazz venue where it is OK to party. Once a month you can catch an all-night blues session which kicks in early and stays cooking late. With very friendly staff and a very reasonable cover charge, this venue is definitely worth a look.

Open from 5:30 p.m. till 2 a.m.

Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on

Monday.

Koenji Bldg. B1F,

2-3-4 Kita-koenji,

Suginami-ku.

(03) 3339-2727

¥¥¥