Jazz in Japan | Rooster

荻窪ルースター

B1 Kyoritsu Dai51 Bldg., 1-24-21, Kamiogi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo. (03)5397-5007.

〒167-0043　東京都杉並区上荻 1-24-21 協立第51ビル B1

http://www.ogikubo-rooster.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ogikubo.ro oster
https://x.com/ogikuboro oster
https://www.instagram.com/hiroos atoh/

Two sets starting most nights at 7:30, but please check the schedule as starting times vary.

Most nights Y3500, but please check the schedule for the exact price. contact@ogikubo-rooster.com

The club is a short walk from the north side of Ogikubo station.

The rooster is a character in many blues songs, full of implications and double meanings, a kind of trickster figure that always delivers delight. That’s the right name for the proud, potent, cock-a-doodle-do music that Rooster features. Strictly speaking, Rooster is a blues club, but they have jazz, Latin, and Brazilian in between nights of blistering electric blues. All the music, not just the blues, is played loud and lowdown.

You want a down-home feel for a live blues joint, and you get it at Rooster. They moved from their old spot on the south side of Ogikubo to the new space, which is bigger and better. The sound system is good, so you can hear every note, and feel every vibration. Seats and food are all that you need. Drinks are solid and straight, with no fancy-name cocktails. It’s a place to go to hear music, not splash out on food and drinks.

With a stable rotation of some of the best blues and most satisfying jazz in the city, Rooster has a great atmosphere devoted to music. The master keeps things lively with jokes and magic during the break. The crowd is mixed: young people on dates, neighborhood regulars, blues societies, band fans, and people out to shake loose from the uptight hassles of living in the megalopolis.

Most performers are rooted in old traditions and not only have perfected the riffs and rhythms of other eras and other climes, but serve it up by the gutbucket-ful. On some nights, the musicians really let loose. Rooster just gives them permission. And on others, you get to hear music made with a masterfully rich respect.

The club is intimate, as if everyone knows everyone else just by being there. It’s the kind of place where you chat with strangers, ask them if they liked it, and know the answer you’ll get. The musicians like to hang out and let loose while getting everyone else to let loose. If Rooster didn’t exist, someone would have to open it.