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Business News Live Business
New owner announces Jazz Café relaunch
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 14 April 2016
London’s Jazz Café will re-open next month following a £3 million renovation by The Columbo Group, which bought the venue from MAMA & Company earlier this year. It was one of the smaller MAMA venues sold off after Live Nation acquired the UK live firm last summer.
The Camden venue was closed in January, immediately after the purchase was completed. The new owners then set about updating the 25 year old venue’s sound system, décor, layout and food menu, ready for next month’s relaunch.
“Many of us here at The Columbo Group have a personal history at The Jazz Café”, says the company’s boss Steve Ball. “Its early days have fed into what we do at our other venues a great deal. What makes this acquisition so special is that we now have the chance to channel that history in to taking The Jazz Café forward”.
He adds: “With a huge respect for the work [previous owners have] done and for the greats that have played there, we’re looking forward to taking this venue to the next level. There are elements of all aspects of The Jazz Café that we’re going to improve on, taking from the experiences of our other venues, whilst of course respecting the lineage of what The Jazz Café has come to represent”.
On the updated music programme for the venue, Ball adds: “Jazz, in its many forms, permeates so many contemporary sounds. Tune in to radio shows like Benji B and Giles Peterson and you hear it there, whether they are spinning a classic or pushing new artists”.
“Major clubs that many people wouldn’t instantly associate with jazz play it all the time”, he continues. “[But] you only have to catch a set by Floating Points or Jamie xx, for example, and you’ll be hearing jazz right there. We’re planning to reflect the whole of this lineage at The Jazz Café moving forward”.
The venue will re-open its doors on 24 May, followed by a two week programme of shows to establish the new music policy. The line-up is as follows:
25 May: 22a Records Label Showcase
26 May: Dave Harrington
27 May: Just Blaze, Hannah Faith
28 May: Darkstar, Kutmah, Bullion, Throwing Shade, Mr Beatnick
29 May: Waka Flocka Flame, Darq E Freaker
30 May: Portico, Sarah Williams White
31 May: Mammal Hands & Pete Josef
1 Jun: Fatima & The Eglo Band, Jasmine Power
2 Jun: Stones Throw Records Showcase
3 Jun: Pantha Du Prince
4 Jun: Mad Professor, Daddy G, Kiko Bun, Cadenza
