A new venue linked to the Blue Note jazz club is set to welcome its first audience on Thursday evening. The offshoot follows the original club’s opening in New York in 1981 and its rise to become one of the world’s best-known jazz venues.
The club’s appeal lies in its close relationship between performers and audience. Singer Jordan Rakei, who has played at the Blue Note in Tokyo, said the venue’s format allows musicians to perform two sets in a single night.
The opening comes as the new venue prepares to establish its own identity while drawing on the reputation built by the Blue Note network. Its first programme and the response from audiences will determine how the London project develops.