Jazz in Japan | ART x JAZZ M’s

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B1, Akahoshi Bl., 2-7-5 Honcho, Kokubunji
東京都国分寺市本町 2-7-5 明星ビルB1
042-325-7767

Club opens at 19:00. Shows start 19:30 and usually run to 22:00.
Y2,000 plus minimum order 1,400 (2 drinks and table charge, Y300)

Head north out of Kokubunji Station and take the first street to the right. On the second street to the left, take a left and a left (yes, it’s still Tokyo's winding streets). On an angled street, you will see a long row of windows to the half-basement room.

This great club presents jazz nightly without pretense but with plenty of impact. It’s a small place that hardly needs a mic, so you can hear the instruments very up close and clear. It’s a real jazz lover’s place but laidback enough that anyone would feel comfortable. It’s best to get there early as the best seats are limited. If you do wander in later, though, someone will find you a chair. Reservations are always good but not always necessary.

The groups are usually fairly straight-ahead jazz, but on some nights, the groups will stretch out to play more freely and wildly. Typically, it’s duo or trios, but quartets and even quintets play, too. There’s a dedication to jazz in the place that really comes through. Monday nights and Saturday afternoons are usually jam sessions, and they are welcoming to serious musicians.

Sunday afternoons run into Sunday evenings with the “Sunday Jazz Happening,” when jam sessions, explanations, and a relaxed vibe flow. On other nights, jazz lectures and explanations take over. It’s very cool to hear pros talk about their work and what they love. The club is a genuine incubator of jazz, playing and listening, in western Tokyo. You can hear up-and-coming players and old stalwarts, too.