I found a bar in Taipei where you can actually join a jazz jam session.
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Jazz Spot “SWING”
It’s about a 10-minute walk from Zhongshan Station (full address below).
Here’s a look inside the venue.
I was expecting to be spoken to in Mandarin, but instead the staff asked me in fluent Japanese, “Excuse me, do you play an instrument?”
I said, “Yes, I play bass” — and that was all it took.
An impromptu jam session in Taiwan was underway.
A saxophone player jumped in partway through,
and before I knew it, the lineup had grown to this.
Here’s what we played that night:
・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
・Girl from Ipanema
・Autumn Leaves
That’s eleven tunes, and honestly, there may have been a few more.
The owner, Mr. Kuwahara, is a pianist himself and even had transposed charts ready to go. They also keep a copy of the “Black Book” (a well-known fake book of jazz standards) on hand, and vocalists are welcome to sit in too.
A Bar in Taipei Where You Can Join a Jazz Jam Session
If you search “Taipei jazz,” Jazz Spot “SWING” comes up near the top of the results. I’d read a fair number of reviews beforehand, but none of them mentioned that you could actually join a jam session — so I was glad I went and asked. I hadn’t played much in a while, and once I started, I honestly couldn’t stop.
There are a few other places in Taipei with live jazz, like “Brown Sugar” and “Blue Note,” but both the owner and a regular expat customer told me, “This is probably the only place around here that runs an open jam session.”
Even with tunes I play all the time, like blues or “Autumn Leaves,” playing them in a jam session overseas gave me a completely different kind of rush.
Everyone at the venue was cheerful and great fun to be around. In the photo below, the owner, Mr. Kuwahara, is on the right.
There were plenty of listeners there too, and the place had a lively atmosphere all night. If you ever find yourself in Taiwan, definitely stop by Jazz Spot “SWING” and join in on a session.
Jazz Spot “SWING” — Details
Hours: 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM (until 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays)
Closed: Sundays
Credit cards: Accepted
Japanese: Spoken (Japanese-speaking staff on site)
Directions: From MRT Zhongshan Station, take Exit 3 and go straight. When you reach the elevated road (Xinsheng N. Rd.), turn right and continue south along it; the bar is on the way (about a 15-minute walk).
From MRT Songjiang Nanjing Station, take Exit 1 and head west on Nanjing E. Rd. toward Xinsheng N. Rd. Turn left right after passing under the elevated road, and you’ll see it on your right.
The venue is well equipped, with a grand piano, a full drum kit, and a double bass on hand.
Moments like that jam session are a good reminder of how much you grow just by playing with other musicians and getting their reactions in real time — and that’s really the same idea behind the lessons I offer online.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.