Yokohama's jazz history and present
Jazz has played an important role in Yokohama's cultural history.
Currently, there are nearly 40 spots in the Noge, Isezakimachi, and Kannai area where you can enjoy live jazz music, and among these are "jazz cafes," which have developed uniquely to Japan and still exist today. It's rare in the world to have so many jazz-related stores in such a small area, and some overseas musicians are surprised, saying, ``I only know about New York, and there are more of them than New York.''
Noge Hondori at night, circa 1953 (Source: Yokohama Photo Album Created by Everyone to 150th Anniversary of the Opening of Yokohama Port )
The first jazz record was recorded in America in 1917. The first jazz performance in Yokohama was held in 1925 (Taisho 14). Chigusa, Japan's oldest jazz cafe, opened in Noge in 1933. Modern jazz giants such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane began to flourish in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, so Yokohama had been a base for jazz even before Miles. . This shows how Yokohama's jazz scene has taken advantage of its location as a port city to incorporate new foreign culture since an era when communication infrastructure was not as developed as it is today.
`` Yokohama JAZZ PROMENADE '', which is held every October, is a town development festival that also promotes the region, and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017. If you purchase a ticket, you can listen to all-day jazz performances held simultaneously at over 50 locations, including concert halls, jazz clubs, and street corner live performances, and over 120,000 people visit during the two-day period each year. It is said that these two days are when the occupancy rate of the rental bicycle ``baybike'' in the Minato Mirai area is at its highest in a year. There are many jazz fans who rent bicycles and ride around the city. According to Executive Committee Chairman Hiroshi Tsuruoka, over the past 25 years, the number of jazz clubs has increased from the original four to the current number.
Ahead of its 25th anniversary, `` Yokohama JAZZ PROMENADE '' began a mutual exchange in partnership with the Detroit Jazz Festival, which has a history of 39 years, in 2016. A jazz competition was held to discover young talent, and the winning Akihiro Nishiguchi Saxophone Trio will perform at the Detroit Jazz Festival this September. Also, in October, the young artists who won the competition on the Detroit side will come to Japan and perform at the Yokohama JAZZ PROMENADE. As a port city, Yokohama is expected to become more internationalized in the future.
JP16 1009 Red Brick Warehouse No. 1 Chris Collins (sax) and the Detroit All-stars (c)YJP (Photographer: Crew)
The ``Asahi Jazz Festival'' held in Asahi Ward is also known as one of the leading jazz festivals in the Yokohama area, which has been running for 28 years. They also hold a ``Valentine Concert'' in the winter, and like ``Yokohama JAZZ PROMENADE,'' they continue to carry out activities rooted in the local community. In addition, recently there have been many unique events that attract customers, such as the ``Jazz de Bon Odori'' held in the Noge area.
Naturally, there are many local jazz musicians in Yokohama. Also, jazz musicians from all over the country come to perform at Yokohama's clubs throughout the year. There are many styles of jazz, but you can listen to any kind of jazz in Yokohama.
Modern jazz has diversified, and new styles created through mutual influence with hip-hop, pop, and black music, led by Robert Glasper, are also popular, but Yokohama musicians continue to inherit traditional jazz styles in a more authentic way. a lot of people. In the United States, New York is the center of jazz, and there is a mix of traditional styles and the latest styles that are constantly being created. Detroit, a regional city, has a traditional style, just like Yokohama. Montreal, Canada, which is close to the United States, also has a large-scale city festival called the Montreal Jazz Festival, but it is conservative. Considering this, with the exception of New York, which is cutting-edge, jazz festivals in regional cities are likely to be popular in a traditional style, in keeping with the general image of "jazz."
