Music Oct 19, 2020
The musician was known for a series of improvised performances at scenic spots around the world.
Music Apr 23, 2020
Not even a global pandemic can keep jazz musician Haruka Kikuchi from her trombone
by William Archambeault
Japanese jazz trombonist Haruka Kikuchi is coping with COVID-19 restrictions by streaming live performances from her home in New Orleans.
Music Mar 26, 2020
Ron Carter: A record-breaking jazz legend returns to Tokyo
by William Archambeault
"I think people still want to hear the old man playing on an antique,” says Ron Carter. “And as long as they want that idea, I’m kind of available.” Carter, 82, is one of jazz’s most prolific figures. In addition to recording dozens of albums ...
Music Dec 12, 2019
Free jazz veteran Yosuke Yamashita marks 50 years of his trio's 'reckless' playing
by James Hadfield
The pianist brings together past members of his Yosuke Yamashita Trio for celebratory Tokyo show.
Music Oct 8, 2019
Hiromi Uehara drops the band and steps out alone
by Patrick St. Michel
The pianist returns to solo work for her latest album, "Spectrum," 10 years after her last solo release
Music Aug 29, 2019
Charles Lloyd: 'Looking for the one note that can say it all'
by Frank Spignese
Few musicians in any era, in any genre, have had such lengthy and varied creative journeys as saxophonist Charles Lloyd. The longevity of his 60-year career is honorable enough, but the unpredictability of his path and the ebb and flow of his musical ideas ...
Music Aug 20, 2019
The spirit of Satchmo survives in Tokyo
by William Archambeault
Yoshio Toyama and his wife, Keiko, have spent most of their lives as unofficial musical ambassadors between Japan and the American city of New Orleans. In New Orleans, Toyama, a trumpeter and singer, is known as the "Satchmo of Japan" for his skillful ability to ...
Music Jun 25, 2019
Sadao Watanabe, Japan's godfather of jazz, passes on his wisdom
by Katherine Whatley
Before he became one of Japan's best-loved jazz musicians, saxophone player Sadao Watanabe was one of the first Japanese musicians to study in the United States. As a young man he studied at Berklee College of Music, in Boston. "Back then, the journey was long. ...
Music May 21, 2019
The jazz cafe offering sounds of the 1960s in a Shinjuku basement
by Katherine Whatley
For many Tokyoites, Shinjuku is inextricably linked with the 1960s and '70s and with jazz. "There used to be jazz kissa (cafes) everywhere," says Dug cafe owner and jazz photographer Hozumi Nakadaira. During these decades, the district came to be known as a Mecca ...
Music Feb 27, 2019
Yusuke Ogawa: The man in Japan giving jazz fans their rare record fix
by Katherine Whatley
'There are just so many records in Japan," says Yusuke Ogawa, owner of Universounds, a used record shop selling jazz, soul and funk in the Western suburbs of central Tokyo. Now, with the rise of internet sales as well as the increasingly interconnected music ...
Music Feb 26, 2019
Delving deep into the Kanto jazz bar scene
by James Catchpole
The tourist boom in Japan shows no sign of ending, with the number of visitors only set to increase in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Whether for bulk shopping, temple visiting or sushi-counter hopping, Tokyo and surrounding neighborhoods have endless ...
National | Regional voices: Chubu Feb 25, 2019
Nagoya student tracks classical and jazz gigs for music fans across Japan
A student at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Information Science has developed an online platform for music fans that keeps them update on classical and jazz concerts by musician and venue. Kanji Toyama, 24, named the service Sonoligo after his startup Sonoligo Inc., which incorporates ...