Jazz in Barcelona has its own name and its usual places. In every jazz bar in Barcelona, from the Gòtic to the Raval, the genre born in New Orleans continues to set the pace. For decades, the city has been bringing together local and international musicians of the stature of Chano Domínguez and Andrea Motis, in clubs that are committed to improvisation, authenticity and talent. If you also want to know where to experience the best jazz, here are the clubs that don’t fail.
Harlem Jazz Club
To talk about jazz in Barcelona is to talk about Harlem. Opened in 1987, the Harlem Jazz Club is the oldest concert hall in Barcelona that is still active. Its program mixes gipsy jazz, soul, R&B and blues, and every week is filled with jam sessions as mythical as the Blues & Early Jazz or Mr. Shingles Soul & Blues. Even the Barcelona Jazz Festival has it among its regular venues. As for prices, tickets usually start at about 11 euros, depending on the concert.
Jamboree Jazz Club
Few venues can boast of having made history as the Jamboree. Since the 60s, this club made Barcelona an obligatory stop for the great figures of jazz, from Chat Baker, Tete Montoliu and Kenny Garrett to Cecil Taylor. Today, more than half a century later and with the Gold Medal of the Barcelona City Council, the venue continues to fill its agenda as The Jazz Room and proposals ranging from blues to funk, soul and, of course, jazz. Ticket prices start at 10 euros.
Big Bang Bar
Among the most active bars in the Raval, the Big Bang Bar has earned its place in the jazz scene in Barcelona. Live music is its hallmark, with a weekly program that includes the Jazz Jam Session on Fridays and the New Orleans Jazz Jam on Saturdays. In addition, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the venue opens its stage to all kinds of artists in its open mic sessions. And all this with free admission.
Velvet Room
If you like to enjoy live jazz in Barcelona and also with an elegant touch, Velvet Room is your place. This vintage bar, inspired by the 40s and 50s, combines piano sessions with a program where soul and jazz classics rule. Here you can listen to songs like Autumn Leaves, Summertime or Fly Me to the Moon, as well as jam sessions with quartets. Tickets range from 6 euros for piano concerts to 15 euros for evenings with live band.
JazzMan
Another of the great classics of jazz in Barcelona and still today a meeting point for those who enjoy the genre in its purest form. This small venue is, above all, a tribute to the history of jazz: no concerts, but a careful selection of vinyls that sound as imagined by Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday or John Coltrane. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere and respect for music have made it a haven for music lovers in the city. Admission is free, with compulsory consumption.