Jazz Cafe Basie Swifty’s Ballad

Opening the Door to Jazz

Jazz cafes boomed in Japan in the 1960s. Many of them still remain, especially in Tokyo, but one of the most legendary is the jazz cafe “Basie” in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. The master, Shoji Sugawara, was active as a bandmaster and drummer while attending Waseda University. After graduation, he continued his professional career and opened “Basie” in 1970…