Anthony Bourdain was one of the celebrity chefs who spent nearly two-thirds of a year on the road hunting for new restaurants and connecting with the locals. He also travelled to underrated countries for new experiences, but one place that he loved going back to was London. Once a tourist and now a long-term resident in the UK, I find myself discovering new eateries and night-out clubs every time I go to Soho. The area also hosts one of London’s most exclusive private members’ clubs. The Phoenix Arts Club has remained an independent late-night hangout since opening its doors in 1988, and I visited the basement spot for a jazz night.
The Jazz Room by Fever hosts exclusive jazz night events each month, and recently they invited guests to a heartfelt live tribute performance celebrating Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.
The venue, as the legendary chef said in his travel show The Layover, is “usually open only to union members of stage and screen” but now it’s open to the public who want to visit the club for a one-off music event.
Heading downstairs to what used to be the dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces of The Phoenix Theatre above, I walked into a setup that looked like a speakeasy in New York – a cosy bar with warm, dim light on each table and red draped curtains on the stage.
Singer Gabriella Groves opened the stage with Fly Me To The Moon, which quickly captured the audience’s attention before she introduced her band, including saxophonist James Aker. The programme included other classics like My Way and What A Wonderful World.
The venue was an intimate setup, and while I was immersing myself in the world of jazz, I was unfortunately disturbed by the staff who were struggling to deliver drink orders to the tables by the sofas. Perhaps an improved table arrangement or a better ordering system?
Despite the interruption, the musicians’ solo improv led me back into the world of jazz. The programme was about 60 minutes long, and the band wrapped up the night with everyone’s favourite – New York, New York.
Gabriella, who has performed at similar jazz shows for two years, exclusively told Express.co.uk: “People really enjoy being transported back to the jazz club with themes like New Orleans, especially in this environment. This venue is perfect, really cool and good jazz. It feels like you are back in the 1920s; it feels like a totally different era.”
To keep the jazz element flowing, the singer said the performance cannot be “too rehearsed”, adding: “If someone wants to do a solo in the moment and they are really enjoying it, then they go for it and might carry on. It’s like sticking to the original feel of jazz but just expression and originality.”
I thoroughly enjoyed my jazz night at the Phoenix Arts Club as I reluctantly headed out to the bustling streets of London. For fans looking for a Christmas jazz special, Gabriella said nothing has been confirmed yet, but “hopefully there will be loads of Christmas gigs and music”.
