My Favorite Place to Play in Tokyo/Yokohama

My favorite "jazz" club in Tokyo-Yokohama. Airegin (Yokohama) near Kannai station. Airegin is the home of a great music festival called the International Impromusica Festival. I've always enjoyed performing at Airegin cause I've always felt the music is put ahead of anything else. Sometimes there are good audiences and sometimes I've played for only 2-3 people. Regardless, there has never been any kind of bad vibe from the owner. It's all about the creativity. Especially in this day and time when the money seems to control all, it's so important for artists to have a space to create and let ideas flow. Airegin is just that kind of space.

"My First," Still My Favorite...

My first jazz album and I guess still my favorite. Every tune is a gem. Walked into an old plaid stamp store (Green_Stamps) with my folks one Saturday afternoon when I was about 13 or 14. They turned in their stamp books to get a toaster or something. Had some stamps left over so they told me to pick out something. I went over to the LP rack and grabbed this album. Got home and put it on and my life instantly shifted. Forty years later and I'm still chasing that "thing"......that sound...feeling...vibe....I don't know....suddenly...no words....just music....sound vibration....but deep....somewhere in my core. Booker Ervin...hooked me on the first listening....

July 31

After listening to the first tune, you'll here some interesting comments from Hargrove about creativity and where the music comes from.

Roy Hargrove on Music