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THE VIBE
The internal ambience is modern, upbeat and attractive, with atmospheric bare stone walls, polished wood floor, comfy alcove seating, smart lighting and designer furniture, enhanced by ever-changing art and photography exhibitions. It's often described as 'A real New York vibe - right here in Edinburgh!'
There's always a wide age-range of audience, with a diverse assortment of music fans, tourists, locals, musicians, and students. Even those who do not regard themselves as 'jazz fans' enjoy the stimulating live performance atmosphere. An oft-heard comment is 'I don't usually like 'jazz' - but this place is just GREAT!'.
Winning three major awards (see page 1) and recommended in Pete Irvine's 'Scotland The Best' excellent guide book in 2009 and again 2010, The Jazz Bar has a special place in Scotland's music scene. Staging over 20 gigs a week, every week, is a bit of a tall order, but The Jazz Bar's programming expertise brings in an broad range of events with wide appeal, the very best of Jazz, Funk, Soul, HipHop, and DJs plus specials (see Programme). Not even Ronnie Scott's has THAT kind of schedule!
As well as featuring Scotland's top jazz names, some world-famous stars have played here, including Ravi Coltrane (son of legendary saxophone colossus John Coltrane), US sax guru Jerry Bergonzi (named by Michael Brecker as 'The World's Greatest'), drummer Billy Hart (eg with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz etc), London sax star Peter King, US bassist Buster Williams (Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Art Blakey), top US jazz/funk drummers Omar Hakim (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Sting, Madonna), Lenny White (Chick Corea, Chaka Khan) and Jojo Mayer, and Ohio-based Hammond Organ B3 genius Tony Monaco
BBC Radio's mobile studio truck is often seen at the door, recording live gigs for broadcast on Radio 3 or Radio Scotland.
Complementing the music programme are occasional events eg Jazz Masterclasses and Workshops, special drummers events, 'Exposed' New Bands Showcase (1st Wed monthly), plus a variety of ad-hoc arts events, CD/Book launches, and private party celebrations.
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