Blue Note to Open First UK Jazz Club in London
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- Blue Note will open its first UK venue in the basement of St Martins Lane hotel in Covent Garden next month, with co-owner Tsion Bensusan calling the launch a "significant milestone"
- Robert Glasper, the Grammy-winning US pianist and producer, will headline the 23 September grand opening, which coincides with the centenary of saxophonist and composer John Coltrane
- The 250-capacity main room will stage two shows each night, operating until 1am Monday to Saturday and midnight on Sundays, with tickets going on general sale 14 August
- A second 100-capacity room called B-Side, dedicated to emerging British talent, is due to open later this year
- The opening programme features Erykah Badu, Jamie Cullum, Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, afrobeat collective Kokoroko and rapper Hak Baker, alongside occasional surprise international acts
Why it matters: London adds a 44-year-old US jazz institution to its cultural landscape, giving British musicians a dedicated new stage in B-Side while importing global acts for 250-seat shows that most UK venues can't accommodate, building on Blue Note's existing footprint in Japan, China, Brazil and Italy.
