No Room for Squares
No Room for Squares jazz club, located near Shimo-Kitazawa station in Tokyo, Japan (website, map).
Compared to the older and more well-known jazz rooms in Tokyo, No Room for Squares still feels like a new and fresh-faced music and cocktail bar, which actually opened in the second half of 2019 right before the pandemic. Fortunately, this worthwhile bar survived and continues to offer exciting live music and top-quality record selections for both jazz fans and those looking for a trendy, atmospheric experience.
Jazz fans may quickly recognize that this jazz spot, like many others in Japan, is named after a classic record or song pulled straight from jazz history. In this case, No Room for Squares is the title of a 1964 Blue Note jazz album from saxophonist Hank Mobley featuring several other famous players like Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, and Philly Joe Jones. Apart from the bar’s name, an additional tribute to this album is featured on the back wall, where a mesmeric painting catches the eye right behind the musicians on live music nights.
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