“Musicians have welcomed plans to give London’s legendary 100 Club special status as part of a move to protect grassroots venues.”
(Editorial, Just Jazz Magazine, April 2020)
A very welcome announcement indeed bringing a chink of cheer to UK jazz in the midst of the Coronavirus Plague.
It’s my intention to help compensate for the void in live jazz resulting from the plague by re-releasing a series of my Jazz&Jazz YouTubes filmed over recent years. I begin with my earliest sequence of YouTubes filmed appropriately at the 100 Club. The club was packed and filming amidst the vibrant fans was, as ever, a ducking and diving challenge! After all, this was at the time the last ever Thursday Lunch Time Jazz Session. Here’s hoping!
Stay safe Jazz fans, musicians and promoters.
Let’s look to the future and the potential for a revival of
Traditional Jazz at the 100 Club!
Peter M Butler
Jazz&Jazz
All very nice, but is it a jazz club anymore??
Sadly a very good point, Jim! But with the increase in younger jazz bands who knows. Thanks for following Jazz & Jazz.
I have wonderful memories of the 100 Club. Going back to when it was called Jazzshows, seeing my favourite bands of the time – Chris Barber, Bob Wallis, Dick Charlesworth, Clyde Valley Stompers, Colyer, Terry Lightfoot, Kenny Ball, Acker…the list is endless. Then playing countless sessions with Max Collie, Phil Mason, the odd one with Colyer. One where he stopped the band and shouted “SHUT UP” to a noisy Hooray Henry sitting at the front! He squirmed nicely when the crowd applauded Ken!! I was in the Blue Post pub at the back of the club and I saw Roger Horton and Ted Morten discussing something or other, and I plucked up the courage to croak Hello. They were very polite but made the point I could have been a little young for a pint!
Great memories, Jim. In my teens I lived in Herne Bay, Kent, and got to some local jazz events with my oldest chum, Roger Pout who sadly bid us farewell in 1975. We didn’t make it to London. BUT due to those early connections I joined forces to launch Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle in 2010 with Pete Lay’s help. The club and the festival are still going strong and I get there as often as I can. I remember you playing with Max Collie at the Granville Theatre at their very first festival. I believe The Brothers still meet in the Blue Post. Sadly have’t attended for a while as it’s a bit of a journey for me now.