A documentary film about "Baysi," a jazz kissa in Iwate Prefecture, "Jazz Kissa Baysi Swifty's Ballad," is set for release. Featuring the master's dedication and the many followers who savor it, this work is a chronicle of superior sound and experience. The film opens on Friday, September 18, 2020, at Uplink Shibuya, Uplink Kichijoji, and other theaters nationwide.

Jazz kissa, a uniquely Japanese cultural phenomenon.

At "Baysi," which has been operating for 50 years in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, jazz and audio fans from Japan and around the world visit to experience the "sound" created by master Sugawara.

Sugawara meticulously cares for the JBL audio equipment he has used since the shop's opening, aiming to reproduce the finest sound. In its 50-year history, the shop has never once opened without him present.

The sound produced in this way is so profound that it creates the illusion for listeners that the musicians have appeared right there in the room.

The documentary film "Jazz Kissa Baysi Swifty's Ballad" focuses on Sugawara and "Baysi."

In this film, legendary analog recording equipment, the "Nagra," is used to capture live recordings of renowned players' records, chosen by him. The exquisite sound, along with the atmosphere of the shop, is preserved.

The film unfolds through interviews with Sugawara, live performances at "Baysi" by world-class musicians such as Sadao Watanabe, Akira Sakata, Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, and Peter Brötzmann, rare live footage of Kaoru Abe and Elvin Jones from their lifetimes, and interviews with various prominent figures.

Tetsuya Hoshino, making his directorial debut with this film, spent five years capturing over 150 hours of footage. Hoshino, who also owns a bar, captures many moments that only someone with his deep friendship with Sugawara could.

What does Shoji Sugawara consider "jazz" and a "jazz person"? Beyond jazz fans, even those unfamiliar with jazz will be drawn into the world of jazz and audio through the compelling personality of Sugawara himself.

In an era where everything is digital and information is instantly accessible, this film poses a question to its viewers.

"It seems we live in a convenient world. We can carry music with us. But in prioritizing convenience, have we forgotten the experience of being moved?"