I found a jazz spot in Taipei where you can actually sit in on a jam session.
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Jazz Spot “SWING”
About a 15-minute walk from Zhongshan MRT Station.
Inside the venue.
Upright bass in the corner. House instrument.
The owner spotted me and switched to Japanese:
“Are you a musician?”
“I play bass!”
And that was all it took.
Jam session — in Taiwan.
A sax player jumped in too.
Before I knew it, there were this many of us.
That evening we played around 10 tunes:
- F Blues
- You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To
- Take the A Train
- St. Thomas
- Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
- In a Sentimental Mood
- It Could Happen to You
- If I Were a Bell
- A Night in Tunisia
- The Girl from Ipanema
- Autumn Leaves
The owner, Mr. Kuwabara, is a pianist. He had transposition charts ready, and there was a Real Book on hand. Vocalists are welcome to sit in too.
Jazz Session Spot in Taipei
Jazz Spot SWING shows up near the top of search results when you search for “Taipei jazz.” I’d read a lot of reviews before going, but none of them mentioned that sessions were possible — so actually walking in and getting to play was a real surprise. I hadn’t touched a bass in days at that point, and I played like a fish back in water.
There are other jazz spots in Taipei — places like Brown Sugar and Blue Note — but Mr. Kuwabara and some of the expats at the bar told me SWING is probably the only one doing open sessions.
There’s something about playing the same tunes you always play — Blues, Autumn Leaves — but in a foreign country that makes it feel completely different. The energy was high. And everyone was warm and funny.
The owner Mr. Kuwabara is on the right. Plenty of listeners in the house, too. If you’re ever in Taipei and want to play jazz, Jazz Spot SWING is the place.
Venue Info (as of 2015)
Jazz Spot SWING
B1F, No. 108, Section 1, Xinsheng North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei
Hours: 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Fri/Sat until 2:00 AM) | Closed Sundays
Credit cards: accepted | Japanese-speaking staff available
Equipment: grand piano, drum set, upright bass
From Zhongshan MRT Station (Exit 3): walk straight, turn right when you reach the elevated Xinsheng North Road overpass, then continue south. Approx. 15 min walk.
Note: This info is from 2015 — please verify before visiting.
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