Altec (officially Jazz 喫茶 Altec) is a wonderful jazz cafe in distant Adachi Ward, north Tokyo, that may not be very well known but is one of the finest jazz kissa in the city. On an old style shopping street in the Nishi-Arai neighborhood, the first impression of Altec is the beautiful white sign hanging outside.
The entry way is all made of wood, preparing you for the all wooden interior. The shy, but friendly master (he never gave his name) explained that he had the room constructed with special wood that would enhance the acoustics of the room, and he most certainly accomplished that; when he took my request for Bobby Hutcherson and put on the album, the sounds of the vibraphone immediately surrounded us warmly. The volume was perfect; there are few jazz kissa with sound this good. (Obviously, the shop is named after the large Altec speakers that face the whole room).
There are about 20 seats, but not all facing the speakers. It’s a quite spot, with seemingly regular customers only stopping by for their jazz time. There is coffee and beer on the menu, but don’t expect anything too fancy at Altec, this is a joint for some serious music listening. I recommend having a nice walk around the nearby Mangan-Ji Buddhist temple complex, then settling in at Altec for a good couple of hours.
Open only 1300 -1900, closed Wednesdays. No social media or website so best to call ahead to confirm opening times as they seem flexible.
Birdland is a beautifully decorated cafe and bar located in the north-east part of Tokyo, just a short skip from Kita-Senju station. This is an old, working-class neighborhood that is showing signs of some gentrification with new wine bars and cafes, but Birdland evokes an older era despite being open only since 1989.
The owner Morikawa-san is an incredibly friendly guy; he let us stay in the place between 6 and 7pm, usually his break time as he prepares for the evening ‘bar’ session, and chatted the whole time with us as we took pictures and drank some beers. The feel of the place is almost European, and that extends to the excellent selection of whiskey and draft beer (Guinness & Belgian Vedette, very rare in a jazz bar). There are also a good two dozen jazz portaits hanging on the wall along the right side, be sure to look at some of the smaller ones as you’ll find some real surprises.
Birdland has live music about two or three times a week, usually musicians that are friends of Morikawa-san but also some occasional foreign guests. Straight ahead modern jazz, nothing too free and thankfully not too many vocalists. The ￥3000 music charge covers the whole evening. During cafe and bar time there’s an extensive collection of vinyl behind the bar that Morikawa-san plays from; Grant Green’s ‘Matador’ was on when we entered.
Every jazz spot has its own unique feel and Birdland is no exception. You’ll feel instantly welcome there as you settle in for a leisurely coffee of beer, and with the large windows offering plenty of natural light, it’s the perfect spot for people put off by some of the more subterranean jazz joints around town. Photos of Birdland here at Tokyo Jazz Joints.