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A diversity of styles and an artistic groundswell are on the agenda
Jazz and Paris go back a long way! The French capital has always offered jazz a warm welcome and while districts have changed with the times, the music continues to be played on a daily basis in numerous settings, combining tradition and invention.
Having landed in France with the American troops fighting in the First World War, jazz settled in well in Paris, the city which made Josephine Baker its muse during the Roaring 20s and adopted swing as a lifestyle in the cabarets of Pigalle and Montparnasse. Thanks to Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, France saw the emergence of the first original style of jazz which was not born in America. More than half a century after the death of the affable gypsy, jazz is thriving in this city where the memory still lingers of the great jazzmen who made it their home, from Sidney Bechet to Bud Powell via Dexter Gordon and even, as an echo of the rumour in May ‘68, the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It was in a Parisian studio that Miles Davis recorded the music which made Louis Malle’s film, Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud, famous. The singer Dee Dee Bridgewater revealed her talent here. And even nowadays, it is not uncommon to come across the familiar silhouette of saxophonist Archie Shepp in the shadows of a club.
Previously with Martial Solal and Michel Petrucciani, today with musicians such as Julien Lourau and Baptiste Trotignon, French jazz has nothing to be ashamed of in comparison with other international venues. Experimental, traditional, eclectic, fertile – jazz in Paris does not stay still for long. It takes on the colours of Africa or the Caribbean, it tunes in to electro, it cultivates the memory of bebop, it keeps the gypsy flame burning, it freely plays at being a “sorcerer’s apprentice”, and finally gains the female touch, it always dances, mingles with hip-hop, confronts slam poetry… In short, jazz is changing and growing. Solo in an art gallery, in a big band in a large hall, in a small group in a club, in front of the stalls of the leading theatres – it is at home everywhere. It is up to you to choose yours.
And there is no shortage in supply. Apart from the various clubs and bars which regularly host jazz, it is on the bill in Paris and the Ile-de-France at an impressive number of festivals throughout the season. So much so that there is always something to discover: the various forms of African-American music and avant-garde at Sons d’Hiver (Val-de-Marne) and Banlieues Bleues (Seine-Saint-Denis), European jazz with JazzyColors which takes place in the cultural centres of the capital’s foreign institutes, the creativity of modern-day jazz with Jazz Au Fil De l’Oise (Val-d’Oise) or Jazz aux Arènes de Montmartre, free open-air concerts at La Défense Jazz Festival (Hauts-de-Seine) or the Paris Jazz Festival in the Parc Floral, a whole district moving to jazz during the Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the diversity of contemporary styles and traditions at the jazz festival in La Villette, the jazzmen topping the bill at the CareFusion Jazz Festival, the Festival All-Stars at New Morning , at Sunside ’s American Jazz Festival and at the Enghien Jazz Festival, the liveliness of gypsy swing at the Django Reinhardt festival in Samois-sur-Seine or the Jazz-Musette des Puces festival in Saint-Ouen, or various fusions at the Jazz ‘n Klezmer festival… It is impossible not to find one to suit your taste!
Jazz is available on a nightly basis in clubs. Initiates and novices, experts and amateurs, everyone comes here for one reason only, love of the music. Jazz clubs have an enormous advantage - the proximity they offer to musicians.
Book your place and you will be able to observe at first hand the ballet of the skilful hands of a pianist or the face of a saxophonist taking a breath. And – why not? – at the end of a set, go up and ask them politely to sign their album for you. Jazz clubs encourage listening and attention, the golden rule for the audience is discretion. People come above all to listen, although you are very free to enjoy a drink. Every club has its identity, linked to the selections of the house organizer who draws up a bill each month in which regular favourites alternate with new talent.
Rue des Lombards : Paris has its jazz highway, a stone’s throw from the Place du Châtelet, on the Rue des Lombards. In the space of 50 square meters, three of the capital’s main clubs – which each have their own atmosphere and live in harmony – have existed together for quarter of a century. Once a month, the "Paris Jazz Club" initiative makes it possible to move between them with a single ticket. Sunset-Sunside is split in two: at the top, at street level, Sunside, with a cosy ambience and filtered lighting, offers the best in current acoustic jazz, up-and-coming New York stars and big French names; at the bottom, in the basement, Sunset, vaulted and tiled in an urban style, welcomes more electric, fusion and groovy styles. Just next door, the Baiser Salé is the meeting place for night owls: its bar and terrace remain open very late. The first floor is decorated in Latin, African and Caribbean colours… jazz invites world music to share the stage. And the Duc des Lombards, recently entirely renovated, with a carefully put together menu, welcomes authentic legends and the best representatives of modern jazz in elegant, black and blue surroundings.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés/Latin Quarter: The Left Bank was the centre of post-war jazz, and although the legendary Club Saint-Germain closed its doors long ago, the Latin Quarter numbers clubs which retain the memory of the period when jazz was primarily a dance music. This is true at the legendary Caveau de La Huchette where, since 1946, in an authentic medieval stone cellar, a dance floor is the place to be for those itching to dance to syncopated rhythms.
At the Petit-Journal Saint-Michel the ambiance is also nostalgic, with a programme aimed at fans of Dixieland and old style jazz. In this student district, two reasonably priced venues should be noted: the Caveau des Oubliettes, a pub which hosts numerous jam sessions (blues, funk, fusion or jazz depending on the day of the week), and the Café Universel, a friendly bar which shows off young talents and vocal jazz. There is a more chic ambiance at Chez Papa, Rue Saint-Benoît, where it is possible to dine traditionally listening to excellent pianists with their trio or accompanying a singer through a repertoire of set pieces.
Montmartre: In Pigalle and around the hill whose cabarets entertained the artistic intelligentsia of the inter-war period to the sound of jazz, several clubs perpetuate the spirit of swing. A local bar which transforms itself into a club in the evenings, the Houdon Jazz Club is a friendly meeting place for fans of bebop where real American specialists of the genre sometimes drop in as visitors. On Rue Lepic, Autour de midi… et minuit possesses a fine cellar under its restaurant where traditional musicians and young aficionados of hard bop perform on a small stage. Finally, not far from the Grands Boulevards, the minuscule Jazzcartoon (45 seats) combines jazzy, New Orleans and trio swing singing in a cabaret atmosphere.
And also: To the west in Porte Maillot, the Jazz-Club Lionel Hampton, located in the Hôtel Méridien, boasts a line-up alternating big bands with authentic American soul, blues, gospel and rhythm ’n’ blues stars. And the result is often very special! On the other side geographically, the Triton in Porte des Lilas is another venue where contemporary creativity expresses itself through numerous events, genre-defying encounters and other experiments. Jazz is performed there influenced by world musicians, contemporary music, prog rock, poetry, etc. Finally, a Bastille bar and restaurant, the Atelier Charonne has established itself in barely a year as the new venue for fans of gypsy swing, where the younger generation rub shoulders with the admired and respected masters of the genre.
We don't hear jazz there everyday but they host it regularly - these halls, with a larger capacity than those of traditional clubs, offer a sometimes more high-end programme, with stars of jazz and evenings of two parts.
For instance, since 1981 the New Morning , a former printing works in the 10th arrondissement transformed into a 500-seat concert hall, has been a port of call for numerous touring jazzmen. Chet Baker and Art Blakey have given concerts here which have since become legendary, and Dianne Reeves recorded an unforgettable live album here. Marked by the memory of legends who have passed through, its red walls are decorated with superb black and white portraits of jazzmen, for although “New” also welcomes salsa, reggae, brass bands and African music, it remains most fond of jazz. The audience is often attentive and knowledgeable, but the overall mood remains very relaxed. Those who are stuffy need not attend!
Run by the festival team, the Banlieues Bleues festival’s La Dynamo in Pantin is also a former industrial building converted into a concert venue. With an original design, it is the first hall built in France decisively dedicated to jazz and improvised music. The concerts held here outside of the festival are in keeping with the artistic remit of the festival, which promotes contemporary, free and experimental jazz, open to related music. La Dynamo also offers residencies, workshops, initiatives aimed at youngsters and public rehearsals. There is an organic and fair-trade bar for the interval.
Following a renovation which not only restored the Art Deco cachet to this historic hall but also improved its acoustic comfort, the Salle Pleyel , an auditorium designed for classical music, has long since been open to jazz. Charlie Parker was a hit in 1949, Ella Fitzgerald celebrated April in Paris here and Keith Jarrett has recorded exceptional recitals in its walls.
Designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Cité de la Musique, based at the La Villette site, is worth a special visit to experience its buildings’ boldness of form as well as for the concert cycles, designed according to aesthetic or historic themes, and also for the quality of performances held there which go beyond the limits of genre.
As well as concerts, the Cité de la Musique offers many educational activities, in particular forums (concert-talks) and courses (series of lessons).
Its media library is one of the main documentation centres on music in France. The Musée de la Musique reopened its doors in March 2009, following a major reorganization of its permanent collections, among which jazz fans will be excited to discover Django Reinhardt’s guitar and Stéphane Grappelli’s violin.
It is not always necessary to go to the big halls to hear good music. Paris has a large number of bars and cafés which sometimes clear a corner of tables and chairs to create a small stage where jazz can settle in for the evening.
Jazz adapts well to this simplicity, returning to the authenticity of its roots: a double bass a little squeezed in, a saxophonist who moves to the side to let the waiters pass, an audience which has come deliberately or by chance, attracted by the atmosphere created by the music. Music students, local professionals at a loose end, excellent amateurs or emerging talents – all come to find musicians who are living jazz to the full. Admission is very often free.
Originally itinerant, gypsy jazz is very common in Parisian cafés. Guitarist Rodolphe Raffalli, who has made it a speciality to interpret Georges Brassens in the style of Django Reinhardt, performs every Monday at the Piano Vache. Django Reinhardt’s heirs regularly bring their guitars to Attirail, between klezmer or French singing concerts, and, every Monday evening, to the Taverne de Cluny. Fans of the genre cannot miss visiting the legendary venue for gypsy music, La Chope des Puces, in Saint-Ouen, where every weekend specialists of the genre gather around Ninine Garcia.
Many bars offer jazz concerts as part of a bill including rock groups, world music, bossanova and electro, or even plays and poetry readings. This is especially true at Au Chat Noir, on Rue Saint-Maur near Oberkampf, at Nouvô Cosmos in Jourdain, where it is also possible to have dinner, at Piston Pélican in Ménilmontant, an old bistro which has retained the cachet of its old-world patina, as well as at 24 Bis, a small not-for-profit venue which organizes a musical aperitif every Saturday and exhibitions, near Denfert-Rochereau.
At the Trois Arts, a venue given over to eclectic music, an open jam session is held every Sunday at 6pm. Every day in Montparnasse, the Swan Bar, an elegant meeting place for American Francophiles, offers a combination of jazzy singing, Brazilian music and young jazz talents.
In Montmartre, the alternative and cosmopolitan Bab-Ilo includes blues, singing, comedy and jazz in its programme, with young musicians like guitarist William Chabbey. At the Olympic Café, a former dance hall in the Goutte d’Or district, where an alter-globalist and anticonformist spirit reigns, between alternative rock and African music, jazz here is free and experimental, confronting slam poetry and happily heading off the beaten path.
In Malakoff, Fabrica’Son, a not-for-profit venue set up and run by volunteer musicians, offers concerts every first Sunday of the month at 4pm, which you can come to listen to with your family. In Maisons-Alfort, the Bar Belge and its menu of 300 beers from all around the world, hosts concerts from Thursdays to Saturdays, with a high proportion of jazz.
If you would like to dine to music, enjoy brunch with friends to the sounds of jazz or have a drink sitting comfortably in an armchair... jazz will come to your table served on a plate.
Housed in the very chic Hôtel d’Aubusson, the cellar of which used to be home to the Existentialist haunt, Le Tabou, the Café Laurent elegantly perpetuates the spirit of jazz in Saint-Germain-des-Prés thanks to the presence of the house pianist Christian Brenner, who performs in a well turned-out trio from Thursdays to Saturdays during the aperitif hour (from 6.30pm to 8pm), which then transforms into a quartet by inviting a guest – either a quality singer or instrumentalist – for a concert (from 9.30pm to 12.30am). A haven of tranquillity in a district which is very lively in the evenings.
Every evening the bar of the Hôtel Lutetia, a select and urbane meeting place with its superb leather armchairs and decorated with sculptures by Arman and Philippe Hiquily, welcomes a pianist from 7pm. And from Wednesdays to Saturdays "Lute-Jazz" concerts at 10.15pm mean you can enjoy a drink to the sounds of a traditional jazz ensemble. At the Hôtel de Banville, every Tuesday from 7pm to 10.30pm, the owner sings a medley of jazz classics and French songs, accompanied by a pianist.
At the bar of the very hip Murano Urban Resort, every Monday the ambiance is colourful in terms of both the decor and the music, with a jazz-soul programme which perfectly matches the design. On Saturdays, resident DJs mix jazz, soul, disco and rare grooves and on Sundays people flock for a bossa-jazz brunch.
The historic setting for the arrival of jazz in France, the Bœuf sur le Toit owes its name to a composition by Darius Milhaud, one of the first composers to show an interest in music from outside Europe, written on an essay by Jean Cocteau, a jazz drummer in his time. It is said that the expression "faire le bœuf" – meaning "to jam" – was coined when musicians who had taken to meeting in this bar, which was popular with artistic bohemians in the 1920s, began to play informally together. Jazz returned to the brasserie which again, on the first Monday of the month, hosts a concert followed – naturally! – by a jam session.
The Petit Journal Montparnasse offers dinner-and-a-show packages combining a traditional French menu with a concert, the genre varying according to the evening. In terms of jazz, the venue’s owner likes big swing ensembles (Claude Bolling appears regularly), Dixieland jazz and resonant rhythm ’n’ blues such as the group Captain Mercier. At the Havana Jazz, opened by natives of Havana, great Cuban cooking complements a mainly jazz programme promoting young talents and vocal jazz.
At the Closerie des Lilas, you can dine to the sound of a high-quality piano bar or just have a drink at the bar where literary figures including André Breton and Ernest Hemingway have sat before you. On Thursdays and Fridays, another place to eat accompanied by a piano is Cat Corner. A famous listed brasserie with original Art Nouveau decoration, the Bouillon Racine organizes classical jazz evenings on the first and third Tuesdays of every month.
Finally, two brunches for jazz fans who like to get up late on a Sunday: at the Bellevilloise , in a glazed hall filled with potted olive trees, generally to the sound of a world-jazz group; and in the eccentric décor of the Réservoir, accompanied by a trio and, between sets, DJs who mix rare discs.
(20 ème)
Rue Piat
(19 ème)
221 avenue Jean-Jaurès