ジャズ喫茶
I’ve been playing guitar since the 5th grade, but it wasn’t until I joined my high school jazz band in 10th grade that I really started exploring jazz. Aside from occasionally hearing my father's Al Hirt records, that band experience was my first real exposure to the genre—and the beginning of a deep appreciation and ongoing journey with jazz music.
My interest in Japanese culture began when I first heard David Bowie's Scary Monsters album and became curious about the Japanese phrases in the music. Living in a small Midwestern town, I went to the local library and checked out a Japanese language book. I only picked up a few phrases, but it sparked a lasting fascination with the culture. Coincidentally, that same library had a Ginkgo (銀杏) tree out front—originally from China, but deeply respected in Japan—which felt like a fitting symbol of the journey I was beginning.
After several trips to Japan, I discovered the world of Jazz Kissa—cafés and bars dedicated to playing vinyl jazz records on high-quality sound systems. I was fascinated to learn that this tradition dates back to the 1950s and earlier, a time when few people could afford expensive home stereo equipment and access to American jazz was limited. Inspired by this unique culture, I'm now bringing that experience to San Diego, with curated jazz nights featuring themed selections and a growing focus on rare imported Japanese jazz, a genre I’ve only recently begun exploring.
Like a jazz musician slipping a familiar phrase into a solo—a technique known as "quoting"—I’m quoting David Bowie’s Japanese story film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence through the moniker Mr. Laurence. Fittingly, my real name is also Laurence.