On a Wednesday night this spring, in a shadowy brick cellar hidden under a bridge in Amsterdam's canal belt, the city's hottest new jazz event was tuning up.
The atmosphere at Brug 9 (Singel Tegenover 157 or 161; no phone; brug9.nl) that night was as hip and improvised as the music: behind a cheap table serving as a makeshift ticket booth, Bjorn Ter Kuile, a co-owner of the club, collected cover fees in a tin can. Two rooms away on a small carpeted stage, the tenor saxophonist Olaf Zwetsloot prepared to lead his quartet. The room fits only 140--and it was filling up fast.
“We started with the jazz a couple months ago, and now it's really big," said Mr. Ter Kuile. “And now we also get more famous people coming out, to see if they can play."
Brug 9 isn't alone. At casual bars or more serious venues, visitors with an ear for the music--or just a feel for the atmosphere surrounding it--will find that Amsterdam's jazz scene is constantly evolving, fueled by a top-flight conservatory, new concert halls and a number of small places that emphasize innovation and cooperation among players.
The atmosphere at Brug 9 (Singel Tegenover 157 or 161; no phone; brug9.nl) that night was as hip and improvised as the music: behind a cheap table serving as a makeshift ticket booth, Bjorn Ter Kuile, a co-owner of the club, collected cover fees in a tin can. Two rooms away on a small carpeted stage, the tenor saxophonist Olaf Zwetsloot prepared to lead his quartet. The room fits only 140--and it was filling up fast.
“We started with the jazz a couple months ago, and now it's really big," said Mr. Ter Kuile. “And now we also get more famous people coming out, to see if they can play."
Brug 9 isn't alone. At casual bars or more serious venues, visitors with an ear for the music--or just a feel for the atmosphere surrounding it--will find that Amsterdam's jazz scene is constantly evolving, fueled by a top-flight conservatory, new concert halls and a number of small places that emphasize innovation and cooperation among players.
