Bar Bar Bar: A jazz restaurant that will satisfy both your palate and your ears

"The city of Yokohama is an indispensable part of the story of Japanese jazz."
Yokohama is home to numerous jazz festivals, including the Yokohama Jazz Promenade, Asahi Jazz Festival, and Yokohama Honmoku Jazz Festival, and has many jazz spots where you can enjoy live music.

This series introduces the atmosphere and charm of jazz spots in Kanagawa Prefecture. Even if you're interested in jazz cafes and live music venues but feel they're too intimidating, you might find a spot you can easily visit!
The Noge, Isezakicho, and Kannai area of the prefecture is packed with long-established jazz cafes and live music venues.
This time, I visited "Bar Bar Bar" in Kannai.

Bar Bar Bar is located in the basement of a building facing Baystars Street, just a short walk from Yokohama Stadium. Two years ago, due to the aging of their own building, they moved to their current location a few streets away. Opened in 1984, this long-established establishment has been around for a long time.

You're greeted by the neon sign of "Bar Bar Bar" and the cheerful, playful witch that is the store's logo, and when you open the glass door, you'll find an even heavier wooden door. It's quite heavy, in fact. Even though it's underground, it seems to have been perfectly designed to prevent sound leakage.

As soon as you step inside the bar, you'll see antique-style furniture, whiskey bottles crammed into every nook and crimson curtains that give the stage a more subdued atmosphere, and wooden speakers that resemble giant gramophones. Amidst the formality, there's also a relaxed atmosphere.

The old store had a counter bar on the first floor and a live music restaurant on the second floor, but the new store has been relocated to the second floor, with tables that seat two to four people for comfortable dining.

The live show started at 7:00 PM, but by the time the venue opened at 6:00 PM, about two-thirds of the seats were filled, and fans were relaxing in their own way. Some even chatted with the performers before the show began.

Service and food that goes beyond a jazz bar

The countless bottles on display are actually reserved bottles, and if you have a seat reservation, they will prepare your preferred drink in advance, but if you don't have a reservation, the staff will prepare it as soon as you arrive. To be honest, I didn't expect to receive such sophisticated service from a bar that is known for its live jazz performances. The menu is also extensive, with over 30 types of Scotch alone, and it's surprising that most of the brands are available on reserve. Although the bar itself cannot be used, the bartenders still carefully prepare each cocktail, focusing on classics, so much so that you'll have a hard time deciding what to drink.

What sets Bar Bar Bar apart from other restaurants is its food. The menu, the colors and presentation, and the taste are all outstanding, and as it bills itself as a "live music restaurant," it's not just a casual snack to enjoy while listening to live music, but something that's worth visiting just for the food.

The meat-focused hors d'oeuvres platter featured elaborate dishes such as pate and terrine, and when we tried the staff-recommended "Savoie-style potato gratin," all the reporters' eyes widened and they all exclaimed, "It's definitely delicious!" Personally, I was quite surprised by the complete lack of fishy smell in the "anchovy olive pizza" and the rich flavor of the cheese. I could eat any number of slices.

Audience participation? A fun "social gathering for adults"

Once our stomachs and throats were filled, the first act began. A grand piano, drum set, and other equipment were comfortably placed on the elevated stage.
On this day, a piano trio (piano, bass, and drums) performed. They delivered a passionate performance, adding summery bossa nova and samba numbers to their standard numbers. Despite the powerful piano and drum performances, the sound was perfectly balanced without being harsh. I learned that although they used a PA system, they valued the live sound.

A guest vocalist joined in midway through the show, and the audience became more and more involved in the conversation as well as the songs. At one point, a man who had come alone was persuaded by the two women sitting next to him to join in on a drink. He said, "I hope this becomes a 'live meet-and-greet' event, not just for romantic purposes," and perhaps meeting new people here will lead to more people joining the jazz club. The atmosphere is formal yet somehow homey, making it an appropriate description of an "adult social gathering spot."

Jazz is not something you have to prepare yourself for, it's something that comes naturally to you.

This atmosphere is largely due to the dedication inherited from his predecessor, who is responsible for everything from hall management to live bookings.

He spent his youth based in Honmoku, a jazz hotspot in Yokohama, and before he even became aware of artists or song titles, he literally listened to jazz like a shower. His involvement with Bar Bar Bar began as a frequent customer. "I never dreamed I'd be the manager several decades later," Takeuchi says with a laugh.

He himself had always dreamed of going to "Bar Bar Bar" as "a place I'd like to go to someday," but he basically aims to create a place that is "dignified but not too difficult to enter."
Therefore, the musicians he books are not the type who say, "Sit down and listen quietly!" but rather, "Even if you don't know anything about jazz, come and listen at your own pace." As the bar is a "dream destination" for musicians, there are many projects that musicians bring in themselves. Even so, he sometimes uses YouTube to discover new talent.
As the players themselves are getting older, there is a sense of urgency that the venue must become one that both performers and audiences can enjoy with the younger generation.

The fact that "Bar Bar Bar" is involved in nurturing young players as a music school is also a reflection of their strong desire to pass on the "jazz" culture.
When asked, "Which young talent is attracting attention these days?", the answer given was "Ichikawa Riko, who graduated from a music academy."
Next time, I would like to go and experience the new era of Yokohama jazz that continues to grow.

Bar Bar Bar
Address: 231-0015
Kannai Arai Building B1-B, 1-8 Onoue-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Website: https://www.barbarbar.jp/