Famed Iwate jazz cafe Basie subject of documentary

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ICHINOSEKI, Iwate Prefecture--A documentary film about a revered
Ichinoseki jazz cafe will premiere in late May, featuring footage of
performances by jazz greats and interviews with big names.

"Jazz Kissa Basie: Swifty no Ballad" (Jazz cafe Basie: Swifty's
ballad) looks back on five decades of the jazz spot managed by Shoji
Sugawara, 77, who goes by the name of Swifty.
It was directed by Tetsuya Hoshino, 54, who made his directorial
debut with the 104-minute film. He lives in Tokyo and has been
frequenting Basie, named after the famous jazz pianist and band leader
Count Basie, for many years.
"It is a miracle for a cafe to last 50 years. Basie must have something that attracts people," Hoshino said. 
The documentary contains footage of live performances at the cafe by
the late great jazz drummer Elvin Jones and leading Japanese artists,
including saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Akira Sakata. It also includes
interviews with conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress Kyoka Suzuki, who
filmed scenes at Basie for her first film.
Also sprinkled with footage of student protests in or around 1970 and
Tokyo's downtown areas at night, the movie vividly conveys the social
ambience of the time when Basie opened.
In one interview in the film, Hozumi Nakadaira, who runs the jazz
cafe Dug in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, talks about how jazz cafes were
packed with young people and buzzing with enthusiasm at the time.
Another charm of the film is that it captures the fantastic sounds produced by gigantic JBL loudspeakers set up at the cafe.
The film's sound crew, who once worked on a film by famed director
Akira Kurosawa, used the Nagra, a high-end analog open-reel recorder, to
record original phonograph records there of the Count Basie Orchestra,
Miles Davis and other musicians often played at the cafe, capturing the
bar's signature sound.
"I want the audience to listen and feel with their hearts," Hoshino said.
Sugawara said that jazz cafes--known for cultivating atmospheres
devoted to record appreciation--are a form of culture unique to Japan,
and noted they have garnered some attention abroad as well.
“I hope the film will serve as a starting point for the Japanese jazz cafe culture to be widely known," he said.
The producers said they intend to promote the film at international film festivals.
"Jazz Kissa Basie" will premiere in Tokyo on May 29 before going nationwide.
For more information, visit the official website at (https://www.uplink.co.jp/Basie/.
from http://www.asahi.com  

Edited by snobb - 10 Apr 2020 at 8:33am

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snobb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Forum Admin Group Site Admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Vilnius Status: Offline Points: 28448	Post Options Post Reply Quote snobb Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Famed Iwate jazz cafe Basie subject of documentary Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 3:54am
	ICHINOSEKI, Iwate Prefecture--A documentary film about a revered Ichinoseki jazz cafe will premiere in late May, featuring footage of performances by jazz greats and interviews with big names. "Jazz Kissa Basie: Swifty no Ballad" (Jazz cafe Basie: Swifty's ballad) looks back on five decades of the jazz spot managed by Shoji Sugawara, 77, who goes by the name of Swifty. It was directed by Tetsuya Hoshino, 54, who made his directorial debut with the 104-minute film. He lives in Tokyo and has been frequenting Basie, named after the famous jazz pianist and band leader Count Basie, for many years. "It is a miracle for a cafe to last 50 years. Basie must have something that attracts people," Hoshino said. The documentary contains footage of live performances at the cafe by the late great jazz drummer Elvin Jones and leading Japanese artists, including saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Akira Sakata. It also includes interviews with conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress Kyoka Suzuki, who filmed scenes at Basie for her first film. Also sprinkled with footage of student protests in or around 1970 and Tokyo's downtown areas at night, the movie vividly conveys the social ambience of the time when Basie opened. In one interview in the film, Hozumi Nakadaira, who runs the jazz cafe Dug in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, talks about how jazz cafes were packed with young people and buzzing with enthusiasm at the time. Another charm of the film is that it captures the fantastic sounds produced by gigantic JBL loudspeakers set up at the cafe. The film's sound crew, who once worked on a film by famed director Akira Kurosawa, used the Nagra, a high-end analog open-reel recorder, to record original phonograph records there of the Count Basie Orchestra, Miles Davis and other musicians often played at the cafe, capturing the bar's signature sound. "I want the audience to listen and feel with their hearts," Hoshino said. Sugawara said that jazz cafes--known for cultivating atmospheres devoted to record appreciation--are a form of culture unique to Japan, and noted they have garnered some attention abroad as well. “I hope the film will serve as a starting point for the Japanese jazz cafe culture to be widely known," he said. The producers said they intend to promote the film at international film festivals. "Jazz Kissa Basie" will premiere in Tokyo on May 29 before going nationwide. For more information, visit the official website at (https://www.uplink.co.jp/Basie/. from http://www.asahi.com Edited by snobb - 10 Apr 2020 at 8:33am