Lydian jazz club, located near Ogawamachi and Awajicho stations in Tokyo, Japan (website, map). Note: Lydian has permanently closed.
Tokyo jazz club Lydian quickly entered the list of favorite places to listen to live jazz that had opened in the past decade. This jazz spot took a listener-friendly approach and created a completely enjoyable experience with great audio and lighting. Lydian was in business for about seven years, steadily gaining traction with local jazz musicians and fans until closing down earlier this year.
Lydian is simple and neat, professionally but not uncomfortably quiet, with prime recorded jazz music playing before the live music starts. The room is nice and organized, more like a low-key mini concert hall than a bustling bar or cacophonous club.
The wide stage with its glossy black piano takes up one end of the room and is dramatically bathed in neon blue lights and dark colors. From the stage, tidy rows of chairs and tables fill up the space like theater seating. The impression is that of high-quality, even polite, recital-hall listening, with a feeling that something special will be created by the night’s performance, something exciting and improvised, sophisticated and comfortable.
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