"The city of Yokohama is an indispensable part of the story of Japanese jazz."
Yokohama hosts numerous jazz festivals, including the Yokohama Jazz Promenade, the Asahi Jazz Festival, and the Yokohama Honmoku Jazz Festival, and has many jazz spots where you can enjoy live music.
In this series, we will introduce jazz spots within the prefecture so that even those who have never been to a jazz cafe or live house can easily enjoy jazz.
This time, I visited the jazz bar "JAZZY AFTER HOURS" in Bashamichi, Kannai. I walked up the stairs, guided by colorful neon lights, and when I opened the door, I was greeted by the sound of soothing jazz music. The calm blue lighting, the neatly arranged glasses, and the voices of people enjoying conversation. It felt like the flow of time had suddenly changed from the bustling weekend night city.
"When you think of jazz, you think of Kannai," says Jun Shibata, the owner of the bar, who decided to open a bar in this area, which has more than 30 jazz bars. After retiring from the company he worked for in 2017, he decided to open a bar related to jazz, which he had always loved, and after two years of training and preparation, he opened "JAZZY AFTER HOURS" in March 2019.
The drink menu is extensive, as he studied bartending during his training. There are 70-80 types of whiskey and cocktails on the menu. The original Jazzy Highball is a drink that you can enjoy the smoky flavor.
Not only are there drinks, but the food lineup is also quite extensive. The owner's wife, who is in charge of cooking, studied under a French chef, so there is a long list of delicious looking dishes on the menu. The garlic-sauteed whelks, which are strongly flavored with garlic, are exquisite and go extremely well with alcohol. When I blurted out that I was afraid I might drink too much, Shibata kindly replied with a smile, "Please do drink too much." While savoring the whelks, the pork cutlet ordered by the customer next to me looked so delicious that I resolved to come back next time when I was hungrier.
While you enjoy your meal, pleasant jazz music fills the restaurant. It's a sound that feels like a live performance and is easy on the ears. The concept that Shibata aims for is "a restaurant where you can enjoy alcohol, jazz, and the atmosphere." It's a restaurant where you can stay for a long time without getting tired, and where you can also enjoy conversation. He thought, "It seems like there are restaurants like that, but it's hard to find," and so he came up with a concept that is different from other restaurants.
That's why they're so particular about the sound. They use a Japanese Esoteric CD player, British Tannoy main speakers, and Danish DALI sub-speakers. They mainly play standard jazz from the 50s and 60s, but sometimes they play other music too! "They call themselves the most laid-back jazz bar in Japan," he says with a cheerful laugh.
"JAZZY AFTER HOURS" is a listening bar where you can listen to jazz music, focusing on drinks and food. In addition, once a month they hold jam sessions (improvised live performances) and vocal jam sessions. In addition, you can enjoy concert-style live performances several times a year.
The comfortable atmosphere felt when entering the bar is likely the result of Shibata's desire for all customers to enjoy themselves. Many customers who are not familiar with jazz also visit "JAZZY AFTER HOURS". They drop in to use the bar or for an after-party, and spend their time however they like. The jazz that plays in the bar does not interfere with conversation, but it is more than just background music. It gently envelops all customers, so it is a space where you can freely listen to the sound quietly or enjoy a conversation to the rhythm.
"This is a place where you can relax, not just focusing on jazz, but on anything in between. Customers who love music should feel free to drop in. You can also use it as a cafe, so you can just come for a cup of coffee."
So says Shibata, who is waiting for us at "JAZZY AFTER HOURS." Why not relax and unwind with some delicious food, drinks, and soothing jazz?
