Anyone knowledgeable about the London live music scene will undoubtedly consider The Jazz Cafe amongst their most cherished venues. Situated deep in the cultural epicentre of Camden, the esteemed gem has been home to some of the most historically significant London shows since its inception over 30 years ago, and has become a staple of the jazz, soul, reggae and hip hop scenes in the English capital.

This autumn has seen a period of evolution and progression for the venue, hosting perhaps their most eclectic season to date. A terrific selection of artists have blessed the cafe: there’s been UK debuts from global household names like Armani Caesar, Jonah Yano and Thelma, iconic returns from legends like KEM and Evelyn Champagne King. On top of this, the season has seen residencies from the likes of Jules, as well as fantastic showcases of homegrown talent such as Jords and Jalen Ngonda.

To highlight the continued innovation and forward-thinking vision of The Jazz Cafe, we caught up with Jack Hersh, discussing origins, Camden culture and this autumn’s program.

Read the full interview…

How did The Jazz Cafe start? Could you give us some insights into the venue’s history and its transformation into a music institution in London over the years?
The Jazz Cafe was originally based in Stoke Newington before making the move to the current location in 1990. Camden is a real music hub so it made a lot of sense to be based here. In 2016, the venue reopened with a new look and a reinvigorated bookings approach but building on the reputation it had developed over the years. From its inception the venue was all about showcasing performers from across the musical spectrum and providing a stage for both new and established artists. This continued approach is what still stands us out within a very strong London music scene.

How has Camden’s unique cultural and artistic scene influenced and contributed to the nightlife in London?
Camden has always been a cultural hotspot for music and a place artists want to perform. Having that scene on our doorstep as a 500-cap venue gives us the flexibility to attract artists at every stage of their career. The likes of Ella Eyre and Mahalia are huge stars, but it still means a lot to these artists to play at a venue they aspired to perform at during the early stages of their career.

The Jazz Cafe is renowned for its unique and intimate atmosphere. Why is this important to you and the overall venue experience, and how do you maintain it, especially with the addition of late-night club events?
The Jazz Cafe experience is so different. It doesn’t matter where you are in the venue, you will always feel close to the stage. You can see artists that would normally perform in bigger spaces, but in a much more intimate setting.
That close-knit set-up lends itself really well to the club experience too. You can dance on the same stage where so many iconic artists have performed, or you can chill out on the mezzanine and watch it all unfold below – there are so many layers to the venue. The building is so multifaceted and beautiful in its own right, all of this adds to the atmosphere during live and club performances.

The club programme looks exciting and diverse. What inspired the decision to expand beyond live music?
The Jazz Cafe caters for music from across the spectrum, known for putting on artists from all corners of the world. With so many emerging global DJs and electronic artists that reflect our tastes, it’s vital that club shows are just as big a part of the programme as our live events. We’re not pegged to one particular sound, which allows us to showcase heritage house acts from Chicago, rising stars from Kenya or DJs from Colombia, and it all makes sense.

What excites you the most about the current club programme?
The most exciting thing for us about the current club programme is that diversity – the fact that you could come down every Friday in a month and go on a musical journey around the world. We’ve got legends like Gilles Peterson and Soichi Terada coming through, alongside rising acts coming to curate their own lineups like Nídia from Portugal or Disco Tehran from NYC. The venue is community oriented and a great hub for people, artists enjoy playing here and it’s a welcome space for people on the dance floor and artists alike.

The venue has recently undergone refurbishments. Could you share more details about these changes and how they have enhanced the overall experience?
The DJ booth is now much larger and on ground level, facing lengthways across the room and therefore maximising the connection between DJ and crowd. During the refurb, we also fitted a new immersive sound system by d&b audiotechnik, and the lights have also been upgraded for some added flavour.
It’s hard to miss but there’s also a huge disco ball in the center of the room – 4x the size it was before! The overall clubbing experience is much improved and we’re really feeling the extra love for our club nights since we made the changes.

The lineup features artists from around the world. Could you provide insights into the process of curating a program that showcases such a diverse range of musical styles and influences? And could you elaborate on the significance of your role in supporting emerging artists from diverse backgrounds and global locations, especially as one of London’s most influential music venues?
There’s a number of things at play here. There’s always an element of taste involved but then there’s an added concept of nurturing artists we’ve come across in the venue before. We’ve hosted residencies with bigger acts like Juls and GUTS, giving these artists a platform to invite talent they admire to join them on weekly billings and from this spotting up-and-coming artists from the lineups, so it works organically. Habibi Funk invited down My Analog Journal – who already had a strong following and brilliant concept – to one of his residency nights which turned out to be a roadblock so it made sense to get them down to do their own thing – we’re onto our fourth party with them now! There’s so many incredible talents in the city and it’s all just about keeping your ear to the ground about what’s bubbling.

How do you envision The Jazz Cafe evolving in the future, and what are your long-term goals for the venue?
At the moment we have an amazing balance between the heritage artists who are part of the fabric of The Jazz Cafe, plus newer artists who have grown up listening and seeing these legendary acts at the venue. It’s all about maintaining that balance and continuing to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s next.

Find out more about The Jazz Cafe here.