TOKYO JAZZ JOINTS

James continues to alienate local tourist boards as we suffer further frustration in Saga, and finish the night with an utterly surreal stop in US Navy-town Sasebo. Not every day can be better than yesterday! Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for assistance with sound.

We finish our first full – and utterly epic – Kyushu day with 3 more joints, burnt records, posted kimonos, tiny whisky shots, some unexpected royal family action and our regular late night konbini run. Oh, and James offends an owner’s son. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound.

Still making our way around Kyushu, it's an emotional return for us both as the project comes full circle. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound.

Jam, a quick Jab and an inauguration into the Adams family in Fukuoka as a new Kyushu adventure ensues! Thanks as ever to Brian from Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound, and to Louie Lastic for the theme tune.

We take a more free jazz approach to this episode as we waffle unashamedly for about half an hour and reflect on what's been a truly incredible year for the project. James continues to reframe the English language in his own image. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his patience and assistance.

April's trip comes to an intimate end, not in that way, and we wrap up things with two stunning, and stunningly different places in the drinking lanes of the oddly tropical-feeling city of Kochi. Thank as ever to Brian for the sound mix and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

We are in Shikoku at last as James continues to expand his palate while Philip comes to grips with an unexpected response (and not James' this time...). Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound.

A powdered-up James eats mountains of the shaved stuff as Philip tentatively dips his toe in the lesser-known jazz kissa art world in this last part of our three-day Kansai adventure. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound.

All editing prudence goes to the wall as we fall down a deep, deep Kansai-shaped hole in this feature-length episode which is the third of a four-parter...strap in! Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his assistance with sound.

Disagreement is the name of the game in this second instalment of a four-parter over three hectic days in Kansai. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for sound assistance and to Louie Lastic for our music track.

Edible insects, jazz double entendres and some unreal Osaka joints in this first of a four-parter where we spend three hectic days in Kansai. Thanks to Brian of Grooves Ahead for sound assistance and to Louie Lastic for our music track.

After his daring diversion into curry a few weeks ago in Masako, James reverts to the old anti-jazz kissa food ways as we get back into town for a good old-fashioned Tokyo episode with three cracking Tokyo joints! This episode is dedicated to the inimitable Natori-san of Osaka's legendary Bird/56, who sadly passed away on August 7, 2023. Thanks as always to to Brian of Grooves Ahead for audio assi...

James continues to offend in the last of a four-parter trip up north: this time it's just the whole of the European continent. Philip recaps on some book launch party highlights in Belfast while James murders French words. And we visit the epic Paragonian run by the inimitable Hiroshi!

James pisses off another regional tourist board as we hit the snowless spring streets of Aomori for another couple of contrasting but equally brilliant joints. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead for sound assistance, and to Louie Lastic for our theme music.

In this second of four on a northern tour, we visit Morioka, officially the next best city after NYC apparently, for two great joints. And Philip has a serendipitous encounter with a certain Johnny... Thanks to Brian of Grooves Ahead for his help with all things sound.

It's the turn of James to live vicariously in this first episode of a four-part sojourn to colder climes with teachers, taxi and a treasure trove of joints. Oh yeah, and The Crusaders.

James chats to Philip about the mind-blowing experience he had seeing the Tokyo Jazz Joints photobook finally being born at the printers near Heidelberg in Germany! Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead, and to Louie Lastic for our theme music.

Two men weep uncontrollably as they meet in a Shibuya hotel and finally recommence what they love doing most. Five years later, post-pandemic, we reunite to hit three Tokyo joints that symbolise the old and the new, and somewhere with the best of both! Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead, and to Louie Lastic for our theme music.

A recap of the incredible support we have had with the book project, the next steps, and a couple of tantalising Tohoku pitstops. Thanks as always to Brian of groovesahead.com for audio assistance and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

James (probably) offends all of Finland, and we have a quick catch up before announcing our big news! Buy the book! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/philiparneill/tokyo-jazz-joints Thanks as always to Brian of groovesahead.com for audio assistance and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

We're back with some stories and updates and while James swans about Kyushu and Honshu visiting jazz joints, Philip lives vicariously through the stories from the other side of the world... Thanks as always to Brian of groovesahead.com for audio assistance and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

The second part of James' solo trip on the island with a trip down memory lane and a distant brush with a famous Fred. Thanks as always to Brian of groovesahead.com for audio assistance and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

Pork 'belly' politics, Sony Rollins on the beach and a mixture of the new and old as James heads south on a solo mission. Thanks as always to Brian of groovesahead.com for audio assistance and Louie Lastic for our theme music.

Episode 44: Not the end by a long way, merely the end of the beginning. We first look back and then look forward to what is in store for Tokyo Jazz Joints in 2021 and beyond. And Philip finally gets the last word. Thanks as ever to Brian of Grooves Ahead, and to Louie Lastic for our theme music.

Episode 43: Record cleaning dentists, curried gyoza, Guinness World Records and upright standing man (not James obviously). In the final part of our Tokyo Jazz Joints Awards we finally get to our our all-time favourite joint, not an easy task with so many to choose from. We have a go anyway just for the hell of it, peppered with the usual slick preparation and professionalism you have now come to...