Body & Soul
Shibuya Homes B-15, 2-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. (03)6455-0088.
(Moved to a new place in 2021.)
〒150-0042 東京都渋谷区宇田川町2-1 渋谷ホームズB-15 (新店舗)
Cover charge is 4,500 yen to 7,000 yen. Two sets from 19:30 and 21:00 on most weekdays, but often earlier on Saturdays and public holidays. Sundays have an afternoon show. Please check the time carefully as it will differ from show to show. The club is located about halfway between Shibuya Station and Harajuku Station on the large-ish Koen Dori Street. It’s accessible from either station with a walk.
https://www.facebook.com/bodyandsoul.co.jp
https://www.instagram.com/bodyandsoul_jp/
One of the older and more respected clubs in Tokyo, Body and Soul, has been in the jazz business for fifty years. It’s an essential player in Tokyo’s extensive jazz culture. After moving from the old location on the backstreets of Omotesando, the new location is calming, spacious, and welcoming. Body and Soul expresses true jazz spirit. The club acts as a jazz shrine, but with warmth rather than stuffy religiosity.
Because of its history, the club has the respect of musicians and listeners alike. The club's and the performers' straight-ahead approach ensures you will have a great night of jazz every night of the week. Most of the very top tier of Japan’s jazz musicians play here, some of the regularly. The musicians know they’ll have an appreciative audience there, too, and tend to polish things up just a bit more. You can feel the devotion to the music as soon as you step in the door.
The food and drink are quality, much better than most clubs in the city. Eating there is a good choice if the show starts early. The service is always excellent. The sound system is extremely good, whether it’s a trio or a big band. It’s easy to hear well from anywhere in the club, which is good because some of the best musicians in Japan gravitate to the club to present their most polished groups and best performances.
It’s best to make a reservation on the website ahead of time. You’ll get a bit better seat, but because the new space is much better designed and larger than the old one, there is almost always a good seat, even if you come at the last minute without a reservation. Body and Soul balances its namesake perfectly. Exciting and intimate, imbibing and listening, physical and corporal, all the opposites merge.
Tim Armacost New York Standards Quartet
Satoshi Inoue