I was lucky enough to be invited to Eddie's Lounge a few Friday nights ago, only to learn soon after that it was the penultimate night of its existence, and was to close permanently after only 18 months in business.
Eddie Landsberg, a native of Philadelphia, has lived in Japan for over 20 years. Having learned his trade with some of the jazz greats like Big John Patton and Shirley Scott, he finally opened his own place a year and a half ago. Off the better-trodden paths of places like Shinjuku and Shibuya, he opened a space for people to meet, drink and for musicians to jam around his Hammond organ tucked neatly into the corner of this ex-Japanese 'snack' bar, which he leased wholesale, replete with its original red velour seats.
Friday night at Eddie's was the sort of place that people would think you were exaggerating about if you actually told them: within this intimate space, Eddie was all things to all men. Not content with running the joint, he also tends bar, waits on tables, and disappears to the kitchen periodically to knock up some food for hungry customers. All that when he is not cooking up a storm on the organ in the corner by the door of course, ably supported by a rotating cast of jazz musicians playing for their drinks.
It's an utter tragedy that Eddie's Lounge lasted only as long as it has, and this page is a belated tribute to both the place, and Eddie himself. Here's hoping it is merely a hiatus, and another lounge will open sooner rather than later.
All photos and video are shot and edited on iPhone 6.