Walked home from Shinjuku tonight to pick up some groceries. Stopped in Maruman grocery store on the way, heard some swinging hard bop on the speakers in there.

Passed through an alleyway in Shinbashi and saw this poster outside a bar. Got to head back at night to check the place out!

It was exhilarating to sit front row at this gig at Kamome in Yokohama. Yume-Goto are a group attempting something very new, using the shakuhachi as the lead in an experimental jazz setting.

A few weeks late, but as promised here are the links for some footage from Yoidore-Hakushaku on May 23.

Was wandering in Shinjuku last Monday (after finding out Cafe Narshisus is closed every Monday, D'oh!) when I came upon the Larsen Cafe.

Last week Aida Makoto-san, founder of the exceedingly informative http://www.j-music.com/, contacted me via mail inviting me to a gig on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately I couldn't make it but we were able to meet up last night at the Samurai in Shinjuku. Aida-san, his wife Eiko-san, and vocalist Togashi Katsuhiko were joined by pianist Itakura Katsuyuki and the three(!) bassists he played with earlier in the day. (Sorry guys but I can't remember your names now, email me!)

It was great to hang out with all these serious jazz maniacs, and I learned about a few new joints to go check out too (more on that later..). 相田さん、招待してくれて有り難うございます。又飲みに行こう！

I spent Saturday night at the Yodidore Hakushaku(http://www.yoidorehakusyaku.com/) in Yokohama with two freaky jazz (and NY Yankee) fans, Brian Drier and Tomikawa Masashi..and they served Guinness at the bar, as you can see. Unfortunately I could only catch the first set, but still enjoyed a couple hours hanging with those cats. More gig pics coming soon!

I spent the night in Hakone and was thrilled to find that my hot springs hotel had jazz playing the lobby all evening. There is nothing finer than taking a bath in the hot springs, drinking some sake and the leaning back to listen to some jazz. Japan = paradise.

Awesome album (and album cover!) I heard at Jazz Pub Michaux recently. Not a better evening to be had in Tokyo than grooving with all of Misho-san's records.

You too can be a Japanese "rastaman"! Jamaican festival in Yoyogi park this weekend was superb.