Don De Armond is a jazz-lover who came to Japan in the 1950s. He was a sailor stationed at Atsugi base, but in his off hours he explored Japan’s jazz scene, making friends with the owner of Japan’s most famous jazz coffee shop, Chigusa, in Yokohama. His photos are evocative views of Japan and jazz in Japan at that time. He answered questions by email and sent photos from his personal collection, all taken by him. It is with great pleasure that I offer his words and photos.
Kazuki Takami is A&R and Label Manager at one of Japan’s best record labels East Works Entertainment. EWE has recorded and promoted some of the very best of Japanese jazz since its inception in 1995. They have developed five distinct labels in that time, spreading out into Latin music, electronic jazz and other inspired music that does not fit easily into simple categories. They focus primarily on Japanese musicians, but include artists from many other countries as well. Their list of straight-ahead jazz is the envy of most other Japan-based major-label companies. EWE has always kept its independent spirit, even as jazz has become both big business and an almost unrecognized art form. The musicians who sign with EWE are the ones most interested in pushing the music forward in unique and engaging ways. In this interview, Takami gives his independent and insiders’ view of jazz and where it might be headed in the future. If anyone would have an informed opinion on where Japanese jazz might be headed and why, it is Takami.
Fumio Karashima plays jazz that lets you know you are in the hands of a master. From the opening notes, the tight swing his quartet lays down flows out from the heart of jazz and never lets up. “Kanri”, written for the Pit Inn owner got right down deep into a driving pulse. Karashima is a leader that knows how to get the best out of the carefully chosen (much younger) members in his groups. The quartet flows from his two hands, but by guiding more than dominating. He opened up the first several tunes into a back-and-forth exchange among all the musicians that leveled up everyone where they ought to be.
Natsuki Kido - guitar Naoki Kita - violinist Yoshiaki Sato – accordion Keisuke Torigoe - bass Masaki Hayashi – piano
Salle Gaveau’s shopping list is long and varied. They bring together tango, French chanson, jazz, classical, free jazz and dashes of funk into one stylish bag with effortless cool. Their eclecticism is sophisticated but not in the way that you have to work to understand, but can just sink back and enjoy. How they get all those ingredients to work together is a bit of a mystery, but that’s part of the fun.
The musical styles extend from the musicians’ own eclectic approaches, wide-ranging experience and hands-on feel of the instruments. These musicians all lead their own groups, sometimes several different groups, and they play in even more. All of their different sounds come together into Salle Gaveau, named after one of Paris’ most famous historical concert halls, a place where, like this group, all kinds of music is welcome.
Ken Ota – Sax Hidenobu “Kalta” Otsuki – Drums Ryo Ogihara – Guitar Ryu Kawamura - Bass
You cannot ask anything more from a jazz group than that they play fully and honestly. Ota’s Swingroove is a tight, hardworking straight-on quartet that does that and then some. Taken from the title of Ota’s CD from three years ago, “Swingroove” this quartet moves easily from swing to groove, from four-beat to pulsing funk, with natural flow and energetic spirit.
Don De Armond is a jazz-lover who came to Japan in the 1950s. He was a sailor stationed at Atsugi base, but in his off hours he explored Japan’s jazz scene, making friends with the owner of Japan’s most famous jazz coffee shop, Chigusa, in Yokohama. His photos are evocative views of Japan and jazz in Japan at that time. He answered questions by email and sent photos from his personal collection, all taken by him. It is with great pleasure that I offer his words and photos.
Fumio Karashima plays jazz that lets you know you are in the hands of a master. From the opening notes, the tight swing his quartet lays down flows out from the heart of jazz and never lets up. “Kanri”, written for the Pit Inn owner got right down deep into a driving pulse. Karashima is a leader that knows how to get the best out of the carefully chosen (much younger) members in his groups. The quartet flows from his two hands, but by guiding more than dominating. He opened up the first several tunes into a back-and-forth exchange among all the musicians that leveled up everyone where they ought to be.
Salle Gaveau’s shopping list is long and varied. They bring together tango, French chanson, jazz, classical, free jazz and dashes of funk into one stylish bag with effortless cool. Their eclecticism is sophisticated but not in the way that you have to work to understand, but can just sink back and enjoy. How they get all those ingredients to work together is a bit of a mystery, but that’s part of the fun.
You cannot ask anything more from a jazz group than that they play fully and honestly. Ota’s Swingroove is a tight, hardworking straight-on quartet that does that and then some. Taken from the title of Ota’s CD from three years ago, “Swingroove” this quartet moves easily from swing to groove, from four-beat to pulsing funk, with natural flow and energetic spirit.