When you think of somewhere with a fantastic jazz scene, do you picture Edinburgh? If not, a visit to the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh will change your mind!
Home to the annual Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and many live music venues where you can see incredible bands perform, Edinburgh is an amazing place for jazz music fans. One of the best places to get involved in the fantastic live jazz scene is the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh. This place will really blow your top and make you feel like a hip cat.
Edinburgh’s Best Live Jazz Music Venue
Located below Chambers Street in a hip basement bursting with amazing music and spectacular energy, the Edinburgh Jazz Bar is the top venue in Edinburgh for jazz music. As you descend the stairs, you’re welcomed by bright pictures of famous jazz musicians which provide plenty to look at before you enter what feels like a jazz bar straight out of New York City.
Here you can sit with friends at candlelit tables in the cozy cellar pub, sipping drinks while watching talented musicians play right in front of you. The stone walls decorated with beautiful pieces created by talented local artists give you plenty of talking points if the conversation dries up.
No matter what day of the week, the jazzy atmosphere in this great Edinburgh music venue will make you happy and get you bobbing your head in time to the beat.
My favourite place in the Jazz Bar is tucked away in the alcove, up against the wall just to the right of the stage. This spot gives you a little bit of privacy and allows you to sit within the bubble of perfect acoustics and get a fantastically clear view of each band member. It’s definitely the best seat in the whole place!
There are 3-5 shows every single evening and bands perform all genres, so you’ll get to enjoy your favourite type of music. They do specialize in jazz, funk, blues and soul bands, so expect to see those genres making up most of the lineups.
The Edinburgh Jazz Bar charges a £5 entry and seating is first come first served, so arrive early! The bar serves all kinds of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to help you have a great night.
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
When I first moved to Edinburgh, I went to the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival with a friend. We only went to a single show, but that show opened up the world of jazz in Edinburgh to me.
I sat in one of the city’s music venues deep in the Grassmarket area, where I was introduced to the most spectacular free form jazz band I’ve ever seen. It was a Swedish and Norwegian trio is called The Thing. If you’ve never seen Swedish saxophone player Mats Gustafsson performing live, you haven’t lived!
Their music isn’t for everyone, but they always give an incredible performance. If it wasn’t for the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, I would never have been introduced to The Thing, the world of free form jazz or the jazz scene in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival is the largest Jazz and Blues Festival in the UK and takes place over the course of 10 days each July. As well as the 170+ gigs, there’s also a Scottish Mardi Gras which takes place at the Grassmarket. No matter what style of jazz you’re into (I’m a New Orleans-style swing/ragtime jazz lover myself) you’ll find the perfect show.
If you don’t want to wait for Edinburgh’s Jazz and Blues Festival, check out the daily jazz shows at the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh, where the jazz never stops.
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The Jazz Bar
Address: 1A Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1HR
Website: The Jazz Bar
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