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The Jazzboilers

A New Orleans trad jazz band of Tokyo, Japan

The Jazzboilers is a mixture of trad jazz players in Tokyo, Japan who gathered to play New Orleans jazz at streets. Formed in 1995. Our recent primary venue is Ueno park in Ueno, Tokyo.  Our coverage spans from traditional jazz of 1920s to New Orleans "revival" jazz, like George Lewis band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, of 1940s-70s.

We feature a homemade drum kit made from tin cans and a wooden box, and sometimes use other odd homemade instruments such as box bass (i.e. a giant calimba with spoons), box banjo, "bazooka" and PVC saxophone, but always endeavor to play in a jazzy way covering up the apparent deficiencies of those instruments, with members' skill and long experience. 

At the end of 2020, our montly gig counted over 300 times.  In 2002 we have won a Tokyo Metropolitan Government's official street performance license named "Heaven Artist", against the competitive rate which was 14.0 for music performers section. We are also willing to play outside the park (maybe depending on payments!), so please feel free to contact us. Some of the members can speak English.

Repertoire list

Approximately 200 songs - and we may study new songs if advised beforehand! 

When the saints go marchin’ in, Panama rag, Sweet Georgia Brown, Bourbon street parade, Down by the riverside, St. Louis blues, Back home again in Indiana, Over the waves, On the sunny side of the street, Tin roof blues, Avalon, Baby face, Tiger rag, Happy birthday to you, That's a plenty, We will walk through the streets of the city (Red river valley), Take the “A” train, Battle Hymn of republic, Royal Garden blues, Fidgety feet, Tin roof blues, Milenberg joys (Golden leaf strut), World is waiting for the sunrise, I’m confessin’, Lady be good, Beer barrel polka, All of me, China boy, Down in honky tonk town, I'll see you in my dreams, Just a little while to stay here, Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, You are my sunshine, Bugle boy march, Swanee river, When you are smiling, Who's sorry now, Charleston, Five foot two eyes of blue, Runnin' wild, Red wing, Poor butterfly, High society, When my dreamboat comes home, Lord lord lord you’ve been good to me, What a friend we have in Jesus, Don’t give up the ship, Bogalusa strut, Dardanella, Frosty the snowman, White Christmas, Dream a little dream of me, etc.

Members

trumpet: Tomomi Miyata

clarinet: Hanada Tayama

tenor sax: Sumito Mochizuki

banjo, box banjo: Yasuhiro Tanaka

bass, box bass: Joe Toriyama

box drums, kazoo, bazookaPVC saxophone: Takehiko Kobayashi (Leader)

* One of our founding members, Martin Peters (cl), has now moved back to Kansas City in 2014 and left the band. 

Next show

May 5, 2024 (sun)
Ueno Park, in front of Gojo Komatsu-no-Miya statue

Four minutes walk from Ueno station

Map

1-3pm

Charge free, cancelled if rainy

Information on the day will be available on the top page (Japanese)

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Topic

Kobayashi on TV to play PVC saxophone!

TV Asahi "Hamasuka broadcast club" (ハマスカ放送部)

MC: Hama Okamoto (from OKAMOTO'S) and Asuka Saito (from Nogizaka46 (乃木坂46))

Feb 17 (Thu),  2022

Played the PVC saxophone, as one of three household gadget instrument players.

Archived here (9:58-). The official extra edition on Youtube is here (3:25-).

Subscribe monthly gig info emails

You will receive a strange email - sample - at a very close timing before every gig date. Currently only Japanese version is available but the leader may personally write to you in English when requested (and not in a time constraint).

Contact

Please use this form, for any question or message.

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