The lineup for Osaka's International Jazz Day is a true jazz fan's dream. The event will be broadcast on the Web for those who can't make it, but that's nothing compared to how the music sounds live.
Tokyo, which hosts most of the overseas acts that come to Japan, may not have landed this major concert, but jazz fans in the capital region can still get their fix at Jazz Auditoria.
The three-day event takes place at Waterras Tower in Chiyoda Ward in co-operation with Blue Note Tokyo. After an opening ceremony in the afternoon on April 27, Meiji University's Big Sounds Society Orchestra, saxophone acts The Travellers and the Erena Terakubo Special Quartet will perform.
The following day, evening sets from the Blue Note Tokyo All Star Jazz Orchestra and Aquapit will take place, and those will be followed by performances on April 29 by vocal duo Nao Yoshioka and Brian Owens, club band quasimode and the David Matthews Tokyo Trio.
Coming in at the start of the Golden Week holidays and just ahead of the main International Jazz Day extravaganza on April 30, expect this event and many of the capital's jazz cafes to be bustling.
Jazz Auditoria will take place at Waterras Tower in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, from April 27 to 29. Admission is free, but seats must be reserved in advance. Tickets are first-come-first-served and will be available at the venue from 9 a.m. for the 27th and 29th, and from noon for the 28th. For more information, visit www.jazzauditoria.com.