What common goal do a Moscow-born artist and a jazz fan with Cuban roots who live in Denver with their children pursue? Obviously, they are opening a kissa bar in New York City…
What may sound strange, if not a little megalomaniacal, to Europeans, and especially to us Germans, is just another variation on “Just do it” for many Americans. Almost exactly a year ago, Danny de Zayas and Nina Barry fulfilled their long-cherished dream of opening the Kissa Kissa, a bar that perfectly matches their ideas of design, music, and atmosphere. Even though they currently have to commute between the Rocky Mountains and the East River, the first year has been such a success that they will probably move to Crown Heights in the heart of Brooklyn in the foreseeable future.
After the New York Times took notice of the bar with its 5,000 jazz LPs at the end of 2024, we couldn’t very well stand back and keep this new highlight of the increasingly widespread kissa culture a secret from our readers. What is striking about almost all bars outside Japan is the consistent avoidance of one-to-one copies of existing jazz kissas, which wouldn’t succeed in a different cultural context anyway. Instead, the operators of venues such as the jazz bar “Rhinoçéros” in Berlin or “Big Romance” in Dublin pick out individual building blocks and try to combine them as harmoniously as possible with their own concept.
Inconspicuous from the Outside
The audiophile nerd who drools over spectacular vintage equipment or specially designed sound walls may be a little disappointed by the rather unspectacular-looking system at Kissa Kissa. But those who are primarily focused on the sound experience and for whom only the tonal aspects count will get their money’s worth here. In our conversation, Danny de Zayas candidly admits that he doesn’t know the first thing about high-end audio. He was guided by his own sound ideals, which he discussed in detail with a friend’s company that specializes in high-end equipment and sound technology. That the guys from “The Music Room” know their stuff shows not only in their approach of first tackling the room with measuring microphones and cleverly installing various acoustic panels, but above all, the selection of equipment shows that the designers understood exactly what the bar’s sound should be like. In two places in the room, there is a pair of Harbeth Super HL5+ XD and Harbeth HL Compact 7ES speakers, amplified by excellent ModWright equipment, the KWA-99 monoblocks, the balanced tube preamplifier LS99, and the tube phono preamplifier PH 9.0X. Vinyl is handled by a Rega Planar 3 with Ania Pickup. The FIDELITY editor gives it a brief nod of approval and comments: “Nice!”.
A Soft Spot for Japanese Pressings
But the real heart of the bar is Danny de Zayas’ private collection of around 5,000 jazz LPs. Here, the irrefutable Kissa law of “Jazz only!” applies. At most, a little soul or Latin on Saturdays, but no compromises in the direction of blues or Motown. In addition to many audiophile reissues such as the Tone Poet series, the in-house collection consists predominantly of Japanese pressings. Added to this is a substantial proportion of musically highly interesting Japanese jazz musicians. Danny de Zayas has now started buying small complete collections from Japan, and any duplicates are then offered for sale at truly fair prices in a small sales corner at the bar entrance. To put it somewhat dramatically, one could say that it is the inner rather than the outer values of Kissa culture that are lived here.
This is especially true of the atmosphere, where Nina Barry comes into play, who is completely responsible for the design and furnishings. First and foremost are her own stylish portraits of various female jazz musicians and copies of record covers, which artistically enhance the walls. With the lighting design and furnishings, she has also succeeded in creating a place of relaxation and encounter that not only impresses with its musical quality but also pleases the eye aesthetically.
Part Neighborhood Hangout, Part Event Venue
Kissa Kissa started out as a kind of neighborhood bar where people could meet up with friends after work for a drink and some cool jazz music. However, after just six months, this concept was overtaken by the bar’s growing success. The bar’s excellent reputation quickly spread beyond the borders of Crown Heights, not only throughout Brooklyn, but all the way to Manhattan. Ever since a favorable mention in the New York Times, curious visitors from Jersey City have also been making the pilgrimage, so that on Fridays and Saturdays, the bar quickly fills up with over 200 guests.
Nevertheless, the bar does not want to completely give up the charm of a neighborhood bar. So far, all of the many requests for possible live performances have been rejected. “On the one hand, we are a kissa bar dedicated to vinyl,” Danny de Zayas explains his negative attitude toward concerts, “and on the other hand, there are plenty of smaller jazz clubs here in Brooklyn. We don’t want to take away their musicians or their audience.” A perfectly understandable and, above all, commendable attitude. Together with a few young jazz musicians, however, they came up with an alternative idea: at irregular intervals, musicians can take over the DJ role and present the audience with the LPs that have had a particular influence on them as musicians, or simply play their favorite records – but here too, the rule is: jazz only. “The concept is becoming increasingly popular,” says Danny, not without a certain pride, “and if the musicians are unfamiliar with the equipment, they just hand me their vinyl and I take over the job.”
It’s All About The Ambience
It is always amazing how strongly the various concepts of a kissa bar attract the audience. Although Berlin, Dublin, and certainly New York are not exactly short on venues, kissas seem to be a sure-fire success right now, which is probably also due to the fact that the concepts of the bars are tailored precisely to the needs of the respective environment with its specific audience. At Kissa Kissa, two concepts have emerged even after the first year: on the one hand, there is the relaxed neighborhood bar from Sunday to Thursday, while on the other hand, the bar has earned a reputation as a bustling event bar on Fridays and Saturdays, even though that wasn’t part of the original plan. “We do end up with dark circles under our eyes after the weekend sometimes,” they both laugh as they welcome us with generous hospitality late on Sunday afternoon. But they are far from complaining. On the contrary: “The first six months were tough financially, but then things suddenly exploded and the booming weekends meant that we can now look to the future with complete confidence.”
This is especially true since Eavesdrop, located a few kilometers north in Greenpoint, takes a completely different approach, so they don’t take customers away from each other – definitely not in a metropolis like New York. Hooked by our hosts’ enthusiasm and energy, we decide to visit Kissa Kissa a second time. Finally, a little tip from the editorial team: if you arrive at your New York hotel in the afternoon after a long flight during the week, head straight to Crown Heights. There’s no better way to escape jet lag than with Art Farmer or John Coltrane and a few gin and tonics on the giant couch at the bar entrance.
Opening hours
Monday to Thursday: from 5:30 p.m.
Friday/Saturday: from 5 p.m.
Sunday: from 3 p.m.
Kissa Kissa
667 Franklin Ave
Crown Heights
Brooklyn, NYC