Velvet Sun jazz club, located near Ogikubo and Asagaya stations in Tokyo, Japan (website, map).
Velvet Sun is a music spot in the Ogikubo neighborhood off the Chuo train line in Tokyo. This is a train route that has been called the “Jazz Line” for a number of live spots and jazz stops along its stations, such as Kichijoji’s Sometime, Asagaya’s Manhattan, Koenji’s After Hours, Nakano’s Sweet Rain, and Shinjuku’s many great spots like Pit Inn and Polka Dots.
After a peaceful ten-minute stroll from the station to the venue, which works wonders to create a sense of distance and travel, taking in Velvet Sun’s distinctive outer appearance sets a special tone. There is a mostly blank white wall with a narrow, oblong window slotted in the center, lined with shadowy bottles and shapes illuminated by subdued light coming from the interior. The name velvet sun is printed inconspicuously on the window, and a VS marks the door. The overall façade conveys the feeling of arriving at a cozy hideout on an alien planet, something from Star Wars, or a place where a giant star was created out of soft black fabric.
Velvet Sun may be a jazz spot that is less known or even less frequented by typical jazz fans who are looking for standards, straight-ahead, or more conventional jazz acts. There is a somewhat non-genre mix on the schedule here, with musicians and groups spanning the gamut from standards and new jazz to ambient, experimental, free jazz, and unclassifiable music. On occasion, there are shows featuring acoustic units, vocalists, folk or traditional instruments, unusual instruments, music with tap dance, and other interesting groups.
The website for Velvet Sun includes great posters for their schedule of upcoming shows. Aside from what be gleaned from the designs of the flyers and the composition of the groups, little to no information is provided about the genre expectations or descriptions of the acts. This can create a sense of adventure if you don’t have any other knowledge about a night’s particular show or the musicians playing.
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