Time Out has teamed up with emusic to offer our readers 40 free music downloads and a free audiobook
From traditional to avant garde, and from hot new talent to big visiting names – London is one of the best cities in the world for listening to live jazz. Here's our guide to the best gig venues
11 Gillett St, London, N16 8JH
Formerly based in Stoke Newington, the Vortex Jazz Club reopened in 2005 on the first floor of a handsome new Dalston building (there's a pizza restaurant on the ground floor). Previously known as the Dalston Culture House, the new space can feel a bit sterile but the line-ups are as good as ever, packed with leftfield talent from Britain, Europe and the US, including Mercury Music Prize-nominated Polar Bear and Zoe Rahman, pianist John Taylor and award-winning saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock. Read more
47 Frith St, London, W1D 4HT
Opened by the British saxophonist Ronnie Scott in 1959, this legendary Soho institution made its name as the first club to host American jazz musicians in the UK. As well as welcoming the biggest names on the jazz scene (Zoot Sims, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt) it's also made room for other artists that fit the distinctive Ronnie Scott's vibe – Tom Waits, Elkie Brooks and even Mark Knopfler have all performed here. It was completely refurbished in 2006, but the bookings have varied in quality in recent years. Read more
90 Lots Rd, London, SW10 0QD
Tucked away at the wrong end of Chelsea, this intimate jazz club is a badly kept secret. Catering to a diverse crowd of serious jazz types and partygoers in search of late-night nibbles and sounds, the 606 Club has been part of London's musical landscape since 1976. Read more
5 Parkway, NW1 7PG
There's some jazz on the schedule here, but this two-floor club deals more in soul, R&B and hip hop these days, and has become the first port of call for soon-to-be-huge US acts (Mary J Blige, John Legend and The Roots all played their first European dates here). Read more
215 Piccadilly, W1J 9HN
This sleek, chic, basement supper club is part of nightlife impresario Vince Power's (formerly Mr Mean Fiddler) ever-expanding empire. The Pigalle Club is an upmarket version of the Jazz Café, a 1940s-styled (low-lighting, olive green carpets), 400-capacity venue. Read more
10 Dean St, W1D 3RW
There are few better pairings than pizza and jazz. The upstairs restaurant of this Soho stalwart is jazz-free, but the 120-capacity basement is one of Europe's best modern mainstream jazz venues. Big-name American guests are slightly rarer at Pizza Express Jazz Club than they were a few years ago, but you can still find excellent residencies from the likes of Mose Allison, Scott Hamilton, Kenny Garrett and Lea DeLaria. Read more
373 Lonsdale Rd, SW13 9PY
This venerable riverside pub is one of the oldest in the area, dating back to 1684. A famed jazz spot since the 1950s, The Bull's Head has attracted an array of greats from Ronnie Scott to Humphrey Lyttelton. Read more
Time Out has teamed up with emusic to offer our readers 40 free music downloads and a free audiobook
Including exclusive offers and tickets
|
|
1 comment
veRy strANGE all above venues do not show their coming programmes?