daily wanderings...

My life consists of random wandering through the streets of Tokyo with a camera by day and cramming my brain with knowledge of how to play the stock market, which I find quite dull the rest of the time. But hey if it can make me some cash on the side while in grad school then it's worth it. Money isn't everything but it certainly helps.

Last night I went to a relatively new bar in Shimo called "Junc De Cote cote, Jazz, Funk and Soul." Been around since I was a freshman at HWS. To my surprise the owner/bartender remembered me (I've only been 3 times in the last 4 years.) It's a really nice set up hidden and tucked away from a crowded Shimo street upstairs and to the right. The place is bathed in red light and the furniture is rustic. The owner used to be a jazz keyboard player in Boston (or so my broken Japanese understands.) He's got some specialty of his which consists of a really dark expensive looking rum and dark chocolate. Very good stuff. All while he will try to talk to you about fusion, funk, urban soul music and has his entire vinyl collection behind the bar and two turntables to play them on. I plan on going there often in case it no longer exists the next time I visit Japan.

Bought the latest JET album "Shaka Rock" from the record store and have been listening to track 3: "She's A Genius" and trying to play the main riff on one of my guitars. There's just something about Aussie rock which makes me want to climb into a fast machine and turn the volume potentiometer all the way up and open the throttle.

On top of the new album, I found a store that I know I've been in before. Village Vanguard. One of those stores that sells everything from vacuum cleaners to sex toys and everything practical and ridiculous in between. Came across some cd's that they were selling that happened to be playing on the HiFi. Sound Stylistics, fairly new jazz/funk/soul band. I'm very into the sound of Hammond B3 electric organs, Fender Rhodes pianos, wah-wah guitars, and growling jazz flute. Thought about a purchase but the 2,400 yen price tag prevented me from doing it. Nevertheless I can download 2 albums instead of one off amazon for $7.50 each which isn't too bad.