Cellar jazz club Caveau des Oubliettes
Looking for the best jazz in Paris? Paris IS Jazz and this city offers the best of jazz in popular clubs as well as lots of little-known places. The City of Lights is second only to New York for being an amazing jazz hotspot. The summer Jazz season has kicked off and you don’t even have to go out of our way to hear it ! The melodies will drift right into your path everywhere you go!
Here are a few suggestions we can include in your itinerary, whether you’re a huge fan of the best jazz in Paris or not so much… yet :
Global Magic
Sidney Bechet Tribute at L’Olympia, October 2015
The dazzling international talent that clusters around events such as the April 30th International Jazz Day is what makes Paris the sweet spot for travelers. You can plan your trip around a master African-American musician in concert at a legendary venue like L’Olympia or New Morning; or schedule for a festival featuring musicians from across the world, or plan to drop in on a hip jazz club that consistently programs world-class or up-and-coming talent.
Choose your venue to suit your mood:
– soak up the ambiance of an cozy cellar club,
– on a moored barge along the Seine River or
– in famous concert hall covered with posters of icons.
Check for upcoming concerts of the best jazz in Paris here:
Best Jazz In Paris For Students
If you’re escorting a group of university students and you’d like to introduce them to a culturally-enriching, affordable night out.
The following three best jazz in Paris clubs for students are located in the student-friendly Latin Quarter:
- L’Universel Cafe on rue St. Jacques – intimate and unassuming with more than a touch of American kitch decor. It’s a friendly hang out of supportive friends and regulars cheering on the singer-focused program.
- Au Trois Mailletz on rue Galande, a stone’s throw from Notre Dame Cathedral. Music on two levels: live bands in the cellar club, classic piano tunes upstairs
- Le Caveau des Oubliettes, also on rue Galande – it’s a club, a pub and a jamming bar. Once you pick your way carefully down the ancient stairway, get ready for jazz, funk, blues… good times.
Fusion & World Music
c. OTP Amelie Dupont
Le Baiser Sale near Centre Georges Pompidou doesn’t present as sophisticated a face as its immediate neighbors Sunset/Sunside and Duc des Lombards but they regularly host bands that include members of the large Parisian West African music community – notably Malian and Senegalese.
A little heavier on the African jazz?
Le Comptoir General’s Sunday Franco-African brunch – a sweet deal at 16 Euros.
Offbeat, shabby chic you’ll be rubbing elbows with the hipsters and boho families in the trendy Canal St. Martin district. Alongside the dining area in their 600 sq meter barn of a locale you’ll have fun browsing through a mishmash of second-hand African clothing, furnishing, décor and their Little Museum of Franco Afrique. Totally unique.
*Reservations a must.
For Families & Multi-Generational Families
All ages will enjoy the best jazz buzz at outdoor concerts in the park. The Paris Jazz Festival at Parc Floral holds jazz, soul, funk, Latin and dance concerts every weekend- this year from June 7 and through July 27th.
Held in the vast east end Vincennes Park, you can hang out during the day at the Botanical Gardens and the zoo, explore the remains of the chateau, plus attend music workshops and play games from around the world.
Immersion for Kids
If you’d like to immerse your kids into the best jazz in Paris for a few hours, go as a family to the Jazz Brunch and Afternoon Snack (Jazz et Gouter) hosted by the renown Sunset Jazz Club. You’ll find yourself mingling with Parisian families during two – 35 minute sets. In this education-purposed event, the musicians play well-known pieces and even some old Disney tunes, while cutting in little info bites explaining some jazz history and its musical legends. They also talk about their instruments.
What a great opportunity to practice some of your French, and participate in the time-honored French ritual of 4pm afternoon ‘gouter’ snack.
Who knows – despite any language barriers, your kids just might open to a new musical vocation, widen their musical taste and knowledge, and if nothing else they’ve shared an authentic moment with French kids.
It’s an inexpensive afternoon of musical educa-fun and food. 10 Euros entrance + 5 Euros optional for the ‘gouter’.
Runs Sunday afternoons from September through end of April.
Group Love
c. OTP Marc Bertrand. Jazz Festival in Montmartre
Group leaders, when you’re planning this one elegant night out to find the best jazz in Paris, there are several clubs that can effortlessly welcome big groups for dinner/shows or show only. If that event is the highlight of your itinerary, then include the stroll back to your hotel (in decent weather, of course) as part of the uniqueness of the experience. Paris is safe at night; ask us in advance which hotels are close walking distance to a top notch venue.
Ready to experience the best jazz in Paris ?
