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
National Sep 27, 2019
Quake-hit cafe in Miyagi port city of Kesennuma connects people through jazz
Located in the port city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, an old jazz cafe hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which has offered coffee and jazz to local residents for more than half a century, is evolving into a venue connecting people through the ...
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 ...
Lifestyle Jan 13, 2019
Step into Sawano Kobo, an unusual mix of sandals and music
by Kaori Shoji
Traditional Japanese footwear and European jazz make a bizarre but successful combination at the Sawano Kobo store in Osaka.
Music | Sound Off Nov 29, 2018
Farewell Mary Jane: Grieving for a lost jazz hideout
by James Catchpole
The late Donald Richie, a legendary chronicler of 20th century Japan, once said that to accept life in Tokyo, you must embrace constant change and not give in to nostalgia. In the 60 years he lived in this great city he saw multiple transformations ...
Music Sep 11, 2018
The Lagerphones look to charm Japan one coffee shop at a time
by Alyssa I. Smith
If you're in a foreign band trying to plan a tour in Japan, you sometimes need to improvise when it comes to booking venues. That may be why you're more likely to find Australian six-piece The Lagerphones at a cozy cafe than a grimy ...