Now Reports

TOP
Now Reports
Getting Jazzed in Fukuoka

Getting Jazzed in Fukuoka

This month Fukuoka Now asked musician, curator and resident expert Shayne to give us the lowdown on the Jazz Scene in Fukuoka.

The Jazz phenomenon in Japan is hard to sum up in a few words. From its roots in a tiny, almost-underground urban circuit to the million-selling star acts of today, Jazz has been a huge influence on Japanese music and on the Japanese sense of cool. The most popular Jazz musicians almost approach the coveted status of Idol, while connoisseurs and newcomers alike can still easily find live Jazz played in intimate venues by enthusiastic amateurs, just like when the art form was a radical, “decadent” import.

Don’t be fooled, though: step into a Fukuoka Jazz venue and you’ll be in for a uniquely Japanese experience. Modern Japanese Jazz has evolved under the influence of everything from Zen minimalism to Rn’B and Dance to Big Band and Extreme Music, and is now a rich and wildly varied movement. Best of all, Japanese venues and record shops alike are unrivaled worldwide for their friendliness and their passion for music.

Home to more than its share of pop idols past and present, Fukuoka’s reputation as a musical hothouse extends to Jazz as well, with a variety of small and large venues and regular touring artists combining to make up one of Japan’s more vibrant Jazz scenes. On almost any night of the week it’s possible to hear live Jazz, provided you know where to look! And if you’re a musician, or you just like to hear music being created on the fly, then Fukuoka offers a particularly lively night out, with several venues hosting famous local open-mike nights, where all-comers have the chance to jam or to play a few classics with fellow fans.

It would be impossible to provide a totally exhaustive guide to the scene: instead I’d like to point you in the right direction. Scratch the surface of the local scene, and if you like what you hear, chances that are within a few visits you’ll be hooked!

FROM SUBVERSION TO SENSATION

Jazz was introduced to Japan by American sailors and ex-pats performing in Japanese clubs in the early part of the 20th Century. Initially via word of mouth and then through the gramophone, radio and print media, jazz became a national sensation. Seen by some as a decadent Western threat to traditional Japanese culture, Jazz attracted its share of controversy in the early days, but nevertheless became wildly popular among young people, with early dance hall concerts pulsating to the popular swing and big band tunes of the day. Suppressed by the government during the Pacific war, Jazz burst back into life during the American occupation, and has been hotting up ever since!

Typically, Japanese musicians took Jazz and reworked the genre to suit their tastes. Take musician/composer Daisuke Fuwa, who reworked the jazz Big Band by introducing traditional Japanese dance and instrumentation to Big Band performance and composition. Fuwa’s big band “Shibusa Shirazu” now enjoys success both in Japan and Europe. Or have a listen to one of the most intriguing and original flourishes of the Free Jazz movement to come out of Japan during the 60’s and 70’s: now-legendary recordings and performances by Masayuki Takayanagi, Abe Kaoru and Motoharu Yoshizawa remain some of the most extreme and violent musical performances ever caught on vinyl. And jazz today is still branching out, with recent successful fusions with Electronica, House and Hip Hop producing a popular “nu-Jazz” that’s back in the charts.

Japan has long been a regular stop for touring international Jazz acts who enjoy immense popularity, while a few Japanese contemporary jazz musicians, such as Hiromi Uehara, enjoy successful CD sales and sold-out concert hall attendances not only at home but overseas. Don’t underestimate Jazz’s influence on mainstream modern Japanese culture: you’ll often find Jazz music being played as “BGM” in cafes, restaurants and stores (where if you ask me, it’s a welcome alternative to mostly irritating contemporary ‘popular music’ and the cacophony of manufactured J-Pop tunes). But hey, each to their own, right? For me, Jazz in Fukuoka is about the community as much as the music: it’s possible to see your favorite acts evolve in front of your eyes, as well as share an appreciation for the classics with those around you.

MEETING THE BRASS

In Fukuoka, Jazz has enjoyed great popularity for over sixty years. Cabaret hall jazz bands defined the nightlife in Fukuoka up until the 1980’s, and although that era is now gone local jazz clubs continue to support and showcase local musicians and touring groups. Local musicians offer a multitude of jazz genres to suit all tastes, whether it be vocal, swing, solo, duo or trio right up to big band.

Some of the smaller local jazz clubs have been going decades and still operate now, ready to start a debate with experts or welcome newcomers. Try out old-school venues like Jab or Riverside, talk with the staff about your tastes in Jazz, or just listen to stories of Fukuoka tours by superstars from Yamashita Yosuke and Miles Davis to Gerry Mulligan and Lee Koniitz. During my own time in this fair city I have been fortunate enough to see performances by Oscar Peterson, Wayne Shorter, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Charlie Haden, Freddie Hubbard and Herbie Hancock.

In Fukuoka you need only to try any one of the dozens of live venues in town to experience contemporary Japanese jazz. Some of the more well-established venues in Fukuoka often offer a cross-section of jazz styles to choose from, so take your pick from Swing, Big Band, Bop, Free Jazz, Vocal, Fusion, Latin Jazz and Avant-garde. It’s all here! Venues that offer Vocal- and Standards-Jazz one evening may very well provide the heaviest of what Free Jazz has to offer the next night. The size of the city makes it possible to travel to and between most key Fukuoka Jazz venues by foot. Even though local jazz venue staff may not be fluent in English you will more often than not find a warm welcome and excellent service.

These days many local musicians have a D.I.Y. approach to recording and releasing their own music. In this way today’s young Jazz musicians can get local recognition while still playing their own musical expressions, which for many takes priority over major label recognition. Still, this new generation of young enthusiasts and musicians can be seen at local venues, watching and learning from jazz veterans and building up their ‘chops’ by playing at open night jam sessions. On any given night you can get a flavor of what’s happening locally in a music scene that’s still evolving, so take the plunge! See who you can catch at an open-mike before they hit the big time!

THE JAZZ KISSA

One aspect of Jazz culture that is unique to Japan is the ‘Jazz Kissa’ (short for kissaten or Cafe). Jazz kissa can be found throughout Japan: small spaces somewhere between bars and cafes, where patrons listen exclusively to Jazz music. Usually these kitsch-looking cafe spaces are run by Jazz enthusiasts with hundreds of records and CDs neatly stacked behind the counter ready for recommendations or requests. A real kissa will sometimes host live acts, though the size of the venues will usually limit this to duos or trios. However, regular nights will usually involve the Master’s personal selection of favorites on vinyl and CD, and most kissa have large stereo systems which offer a serious alternative to the live jazz concert experience. Decades ago before the advent of compact discs and even audio tape, the Jazz kissa was a place where people could go to hear records that they could not afford or obtain themselves.

In Fukuoka the main Jazz kissa to choose from are Combo, Jab and Brownie. All have been in operation in Fukuoka for many years and all are well worth the trouble of a visit. Although patronized by Jazz enthusiasts, any open-minded customer will enjoy their time at a Jazz kissa, so long as they don’t mind refraining from conversation, instead appreciating the painstakingly-chosen sounds from the master’s selection. Although not all kissa are as stoic as this, kissa do exist where talking loudly is forbidden. Basically, when visiting a kissa just find yourself a comfortable seat and be ready to enjoy some fine coffee (or something stronger), maybe even request a track from the Master’s collection, and dedicate your evening to aural appreciation. More often than not a visit to a Jazz kissa will be a learning experience for those with any degree of interest in Jazz music.

JAPANESE JAZZ DAIMYOS

There’s no “crash course” in Japanese Jazz, but for the novice here’s a few current greats to help you keep up with the conversation.

Keiko Mtsui

One of the queens of Japanese Jazz who’s achieved international acclaim and sold-out world tours. A smooth Jazz pianist and composer, she has twenty CDs to her name. Matsui first came to prominence as part of the Yamaha Music Foundation, and later signed to MCA following her 1987 solo Debut, A Drop of Water, composed in memory of the Challenger Shuttle disaster.

Toshiko Akiyoshi
Along with Matsui, probably the best-known Jazz artist outside Japan. The Japanese-American pianist, composer and bandleader has been nominated for a Grammy 14 times. In 1984 she was the subject of a documentary film, Jazz is my Native Language, and in 1996 published her autobiography Life With Jazz, and in 2007 she was named an NEA Jazz Master by the American National Endowment for the Arts. Her breakout Big Band hit was the album Kogun.

Kazu Matsui

A New-Age and Smooth Jazz pioneer and master of the shakuhachi, the traditional Japanese flute, Matsui began his music career with studio sessions with some of the major names of the day: Danny O’Keefe (1979’s The Global Blues), Ry Cooder (1982’s Slide Area) and Joni Mitchell (1985’s Dog Eat Dog). His solo recordings as “The Kazu Matsui project” have garnered critical acclaim. Matsui has also produced music for numerous Hollywood films and for his wife, keyboardist Keiko Matsui.

Yoshiaki Masuo

Son of a pioneer of the Japanese Big Band sound, Yoshiaki began playing jazz guitar without formal training, and has developed a distinctively smooth sound. After a period playing with Sonny Rollins’ troupe in America, Yoshiaki produced music intensively from a studio in New York. Returning as a solo artist in the late ‘90s, Yoshiaki weaves together “straight ahead” jazz, Brazilian, blues, rock and fusion in a unique style.

Nobuo Hara

Saxophonist and band leader, the recently-retired Hara is one of the godfathers of Japanese Jazz. Hara began playing with a Naval band before World War II when in his teens, and went on to perform in concert tours all over Japan and at the renowned Newport Jazz Festival. Hara and his band originally learned Swing and Bebop tunes by listening to jukeboxes on US bases, and he once said that the free sandwiches available to musicians at military dances were what first lured him into Jazz.

GET JAZZED – FUKUOKA GUIDE

Live Jazz / Jazz Kissa’s & Bars
Most of Fukuoka’s Jazz clubs are in the Tenjin/Nakasu area, with large touring venues like Billboard in Tenjin and Gates in Nakasu. If you keep your eyes open, though, you’ll find many smaller venues scattered around the city which offer the uniquely Japanese intimate Jazz experience. We took a close look at four of Fukuoka’s iconic venues.

Jab

Jab is a kissa that has been in operation in the same location for about 40 years, making it one of the most venerable Jazz venues in the city. Specializing in vinyl, Jab’s collection of hundreds of Jazz records is particularly strong in the Master’s favorite Jazz genre – Swing. Open from 12:00 to 24:00 Jab is a cafe by day and a bar and restaurant by night. It’s well worth a visit simply to experience the oldest Jazz kissa in Fukuoka.

5-2-13 Watanabe-dori, Chuo-ku
Open: 12:00 ~ 24:00
Closed: Sunday
Music Charge: no
Tel: 092-712-7413

Riverside

This small space located in Nakasu has long been a part of Jazz history in Fukuoka. The spatial constraints inside Riverside actually add to the excitement of the live experience there, because the audience gets so close to the musicians. Riverside has live events almost daily with a wide range of Jazz styles. Riverside also hosts the occasional performance by international musicians, as well as amateur nights for those who want to try their chops with other jazz aficionados.

3-7-34 Nakasu, Hakata-ku
Open: 19:00 ~ 01:00
Closed: Sun.
Table Charge: ¥800 (alcohol) ¥500 (non-alcohol),
music charge: ¥1,500
Tel: 092-281-6843
www.jazz-riverside.com

New Combo

New Combo is a Fukuoka jazz venue that has been in operation at various locations in town for over 30 years. Primarily a live venue, this “Jazz Inn” also has a restaurant and bar open most days of the week. New Combo is family run, and it’s sister venue “Combo” in Tenjin-kita is a more traditional kissa, with just CDs and vinyl playing. New Combo’s cottage-like interior is warm but surprisingly spacious: try it for lunch or for the nightly live shows.

5-1-22 Watanabe-dori, Chuo-ku
Open: Live & Pub (Sun. ~ Thu.) 19:00 ~ 02:00 / (Fri., Sat. & before Hol.) ~ 03:00,
Lunch & Cafe 11:30 ~ 15:30
Closed: Sat.
Tel: 092-712-7809
www.f2.dion.ne.jp/~combo/

Backstage

Just a few steps from Akasaka Station, this venue’s long wood bar and chrome detailing give it the feel of a classy European cafe bar, whether you’re there for daytime coffee or for a gig. At night everything points towards the stage, proudly displaying “since 1974”, while on quieter evenings the huge vinyl library behind the bar becomes the focal point. Frequented by young bands and old hands alike, this is probably the most social of the city’s kissa, and is well worth a visit.

11F Hirako Bldg., 2-4-31 Daimyo, Chuo-ku,
Open: 19:00 ~ 24:00 Closed: San. & Hol.
Charge: only for special events
Tel: 092-712-2828
http://homepage3.nifty.com/backstage/

Jazz Gem in Daimyo

Located on the second floor of a residential building, next to a tattooists, Catfish Records in Daimyo has specialized in catering to the listening needs of local Jazz fans for over 20 years. The store’s tiny interior is like a very compact Aladdin’s cave for the serious audiophile, with DVDs, magazines and vintage and modern World Jazz on CD and vinyl lining every inch of space. The couple who run it may literally have to move boxes of records aside to let you see the whole collection, but their friendliness and expertise shine through. Take the time to chat about your favorite artists or sought-after recordings and you’ll find that the shared language of Jazz will make up for any difficulty in communication. Blue Note reissues and other rarities are a not unusual sight, so if you’ve been hunting for a rare dream record then cross your fingers and dig into their stock. This gem makes venturing into the maze of Daimyo well worth a try.