August 2001

London Calling
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By John Eyles

Welcome to London Calling, in which I shall give you a monthly taste of jazz in our city.

London is one of the great jazz cities. On any night of the year, there are dozens of jazz gigs happening across the capital – more if you are prepared to travel a short distance out of the centre. Gigs encompass many styles, and happen in all sorts of venues, from “trad” bands in pubs to improv in churches. For a visitor, it can be rather bewildering at first – but very exciting!

Over the coming months, I shall keep you informed of smaller, occasional clubs. But to set the ball rolling, here are some random thoughts on London’s main jazz club venues that have music seven nights a week.

100 Club
100 Oxford Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7636 0933

Located in a basement on Oxford Street, the 100 Club is in the heart of London (and within a short walk of Pizza Express Jazz Club and Ronnie Scott’s, should you fancy a club crawl!). Having been on this site since World War II, the place is steeped in history and tradition, as the posters and photos on the walls are keen to remind you. (Not all of it jazz history. Many fans remember the club for gigs by The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks and The Damned, and it remains on the punk tour of London.)

With a bar at either end of the large space, good sight lines to the stage and a welcoming, congenial atmosphere, there is plenty to recommend the club.

These days, it only occasionally attracts star names, and it does rather trade on its past. However, with its emphasis on mainstream jazz (plus the occasional punk gig) a good time is assured.

606 Club
90 Lots Road
Chelsea
London SW10 0QD
Tel: 020 7352 5953

For a short season, the 606 played host to a weekly jazz show on BBC TV. Its basement location and smallish stage, surrounded by tables close by, provided the perfect setting for a series that aimed to convey the intimacy of jazz in a club setting rather than in concert. Open until the wee small hours (except Sunday when it shuts at 11-30pm), the 606 features two bands on Mondays to Wednesdays and one band on other nights. Its booking policy favours British musicians, and includes frequent visits from such favourites as Bobby Wellins, Tony O’Malley, Tim Whitehead and Don Weller. Because of its license, the club can only serve alcohol to non-members if they are eating “a substantial meal”…and you cannot be a member until you have visited at least three times. But an entry fee of £5 (£6 on Fridays and Saturdays) still makes this one of the best deals around.

The Bull’s Head
373 Lonsdale Road
Barnes
London SW13
Tel: 020 8876 5241

“The most famous jazz pub in Europe” is located on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames, and it serves Young’s beers. For many Londoners, those two reasons alone make it a highly desirable destination.

For over forty years, the pub has hosted top-flight jazz. Over the years it has played host to stars such as Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Sonny Stitt. However, home grown talent such as Stan Tracey, Alan Skidmore, Peter King and adopted son Frank Griffith (who includes the track, “The Barnes Bull”, on his new Octet album) provide compelling evidence of the Bull’s continuing attraction and vitality.

The Jazz Café
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG
Tel: 020 7344 0044

Despite its name, these days The Jazz Café has a booking policy that includes as much non-jazz as it does jazz. When it does book jazz acts, though, they are worth seeing, often being cult figures who have not played the capital (or anywhere else) in years, such as Andy Bey or James Mason. It also attracts big-league visitors such as McCoy Tyner and Roy Hargrove.

Like Ronnie Scott’s or 606 Club, The Jazz Café is not on its original site (it used to be at Newington Green, near The Vortex) and has patrons who yearn for the old days. However, with its hi-tech plate-glass and chrome design, the new building (actually, a converted bank) is worth seeing in its own right. Its design of a downstairs dancefloor and seating area, combined with an upstairs gallery and eating area, provides good views of the stage from all parts. (Unlike the old Jazz Café, which was like a long tunnel in which only the front ten people could ever see the stage!)

Pizza Express Jazz Club
10 Dean Street
Soho
London W1
Tel: 020 7439 8722

Across London (and Britain, indeed), there are many Pizza Express restaurants in which jazz is provided free to diners. However, this one is a proper jazz club, with the emphasis more on the music than the food. Situated in the basement, below the restaurant at ground level, the club is laid out so that every table has a good view of the stage and feels close to it. Combine that with good acoustics and an excellent sound system, and you have a fine venue. The club programmes a mix of visiting Americans (Brad Mehldau, Bill Frisell, Kenny Garrett spring to mind) and British stars such as Claire Martin and Tommy Smith.

Pizza on the Park
11 Knightsbridge
London SW1
Tel: 020 7235 5273

Pizza on the Park accurately describes itself as a cabaret and jazz venue. The cabaret sessions will probably only be of passing interest to many jazz fans, but it is always worth checking the listings to see if there is jazz on.

Ronnie Scott’s
47 Frith Street
Soho
London W1
Tel: 020 7439 0747

Still one of the most famous clubs in the world, Ronnie Scott’s is the only place in central London to see jazz through to the early hours of the morning. Bands play two sets a night (with the second set starting after midnight) and the club is open until 3am. This makes Ronnie’s a popular haunt after other gigs have ended (and reputedly also for jazz-loving MPs, such as Kenneth Clarke, after Parliament has had a late sitting.)

Visiting American stars are as likely to play a week at Ronnie’s as a one-off concert at large auditoria like The Barbican or The South Bank.

A constant gripe from jazz fans is that Ronnie’s is frequently used for corporate entertaining, and it is not uncommon for groups of people who have overindulged (and who have little interest in the music) to talk loudly during performances. Grrrr!!

The Vortex Jazz Bar
139-141 Stoke Newington Church Street
London N16 0UH
Tel: 020 7254 6516

Lots of jazz fans (and quite a few musicians) will tell you that The Vortex is the best jazz club in London. I agree with them.

For many visitors to London (and even some natives), it remains an undiscovered delight as there is no tube station nearby. However, it is easily accessible by a 73 bus from central London, and the bus ride can be an enjoyable part of the experience as the 73 route still uses the classic Routemaster buses (with the open platform at the back).

The club itself is located above the Vortex bookshop (itself worth a visit) and has a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. It has an eclectic booking policy; with mainstream, big-band, cabaret, bop, free and improv all featuring regularly. Regulars include Evan Parker, Michael Garrick and Ian Shaw.

Sadly, The Vortex is struggling for survival. It needs £1 million to secure its future. It recently hosted a benefit evening for Elton John (featuring the irrepressible Django Bates and Iain Ballamy) in the hope that he will respond in kind and help save The Vortex. If you get a chance, visit it soon, while you still can.

Or if you know anyone with a few hundred grand to spare….