Murakami gave an interview on Jazz

On the Bungakukai Magazine (Nov. 2020), Murakami gave an interview on Stan Getz and Jazz. As always, he was very talkative and shared his knowledge with a twist of expression in the way that he did in his novels.

He thought “this is what I have to do” and translated ”Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz” into Japanese last year, and wrote a translator’s note; “The essence of Stan Getz’s music is a lyricism – but a cruel demon exists behind the beautiful spirit; light or dark; you cannot choose but it chooses you”

Murakami bought Stan Getz’s album “Focus” for the first time when he was a high school student.

Murakami said “If I could ride on a time machine and go to one live show anytime in the past, that would be Clifford Brown and Max Roach. I really love Monk, Charlie Parker and Bud Powell, but they would be late (lol). However, Clifford Brown and Max Roach would come on time.”

Murakami often listened to “Miles in the Sky” at Dug, a jazz bar in Shinjuku. According to him “Miles’ music sparked with the time of late 1960s.”

Dug is a Jazz bar in Shinjuku where Toru and Midori drunk vodka and tonics in Norwegian Wood.

we caught a bus to Shinjuku and went to an underground bar called DUG behind the Kinokuniya bookstore. We each started with two vodka and tonics. (Norwegian Wood, Ch.7)

Murakami is one of a few exceptions that people love to listen to his story on his personal favourites, partly (mainly) because that he is a famous novelist, but, I think, his natural way of expressing his love and respect to the music contributes to it, at least for me.