Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Philip Arneill and James Catchpole’s book Tokyo Jazz Joints documents a vanishing world of Japanese jazz culture.
(Photo: Courtesy Kehrer Verlag)Germany-based publisher Kehrer Verlag has released Tokyo Jazz Joints, a visual chronicle of Japanese jazz bars and coffee shops that captures the transient beauty of intimate gathering spaces where time seems to cease to exist. Tokyo Jazz Joints is a documentary photography project by Northern Irish photographer Philip Arneill in collaboration with American broadcaster James Catchpole, both long-term residents of Japan. The hardcover, 168-page book contains 129 color illustrations.
Established in 2015 to document Tokyo’s myriad jazu kissa, the project gradually expanded to cover the whole of Japan. The dedicated jazz listening spaces depicted in the new collection — far removed from the chaos of the country’s modern urban landscapes — are slowly vanishing in the face of changing trends, aging customers and an overall movement toward gentrification. The book aims to preserve the essence of these iconic, living museums before they disappear forever.
For more information on Tokyo Jazz Joints, visit the publisher’s website, or go to tokyojazzjoints.com. DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
Jun 17, 2025 11:12 AM
When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…