Heat, Swing, Bluegrass and Booze: Niigata Jazz Street 2023

Niigata, Japan's Duke Ellington Memorial jazz festival, known as Niigata Jazz Street, is two days of citywide jazz, folk, and bluegrass, and a day pass only costs ¥2,000, or about 15 bucks USD, and will get you into any venue in the city. I've been before, but this year I did it with unprecedented focus and attention. I ate it alive. I also drank it alive — most of the whisky sodas in the city! Maybe a slight exaggeration...

(Edit: I have a video of jazz fest highlights I was going to post right here, posted on Odysee, and the channel is AlternativeJapan. Once again I mysteriously am not allowed to post links on Read, though it allowed me to for a short while. I hope you'll check it out!)

Along the way I saw some world-class jazz acts from Tokyo and Niigata, hung out with a really good pal, felt like I was going to pass out from heat and dehydration, ate the best fish and chips I've had in my life, got to meet many uber-talented players, got autographs, shouted too loud at the bluegrass show, had my own music played at a Japanese indie music guru's bar, and then ended up singing karaoke with my family at another friend's bar in the city. I'm still recovering and wondering if next time I should take it a bit easier — but I'm not sure I will.

じゃあ、また！