Young audiences are less scared of it': why London jazz clubs are expanding and thriving against the odds

"As small gig venues around the country nervously eye their futures amid rising utility prices and a cost of living crisis, one corner of the live music scene seems to be thriving: London's jazz clubs. The Jazz Cafe is extending its Camden venue and opening an east London location, Ronnie Scott's is being refurbished, and New York's iconic Blue Note club, which has already spread to Japan, Brazil, Italy and China, will open its first London venue next year."

"But, he adds, there's something genuinely different today. Younger audiences are less scared of jazz. It's all just music to them. That open-mindedness and freedom has been powering London's globally famous jazz scene over the last decade, as young musicians who were learning their craft at Tomorrow's Warriors and the city's music schools also cut their teeth in clubs, from late-night jams at Ronnie Scott's to the improvised jazz parties of Steam Down events all of it attracting an equally cosmopolitan audience."

London's jazz clubs are experiencing growth and renewed popularity. Major venues such as the Jazz Cafe are expanding, Ronnie Scott's is being refurbished, and the Blue Note will open a London site next year. Smaller venues are also attracting vibrant new audiences. Younger listeners approach jazz without genre barriers, treating it as just music, which broadens appeal. Music education programs like Tomorrow's Warriors and city music schools are feeding talented performers into club scenes. Successes such as Ezra Collective's Mercury prize and arena shows demonstrate how club roots can lead to mainstream recognition. Jazz clubs remain the heartbeat of the city's jazz ecosystem.

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