Jazz in Japan

A duo perform jazz on September 5 in Kyoto. Above the restaurant, the proprietor has a third floor music room. A dozen folding chairs are set up. Armadillo guitars hang on the wall; lessons take place once a week.

Today, the musicians are a female Japanese vocalist and a male guitarist.

The singer explains in Japanese the two meanings of MEAN in “Mean to Me.”
“You're mean to me…
You shouldn't, for can't you see
What you mean to me.”

For another tune, she first explains that there are three sets of answers “Whatever will be, will be” in “Que Sera, Sera.”

A guest singer from the audience belts out Route 66, later asking my opinion of her pronunciation. The pronunciation and swing beat were great, and I would have liked to extend my compliment by saying that we Americans often riddle ourselves with the lyrics.

“Well it goes through St. Louis, Joplin, Missouri.
Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty.
See Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico.
Flagstaff Arizona, don't forget Winona.
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino….”

Encore request. “Got any more Billie Holiday?”
The vocalist calls out chords—in English—to the guitarist. They play an inspired, “Lover man, where can you be?”