The reasons why the genre of jazz music remains so loved and important tell us all a story about who we are. Culturally, it marked a vital social expression that blended elements of ragtime, spirituality, African rhythms and European melodies and marches together as a cohesive whole that became the world’s music. From the pioneers of the American South, like King Buddy Bolden, through to the impeccable voice and emotional power of Ella Fitzgerald and on to the wonderful musical freedom of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, jazz gave life to new ideas and entirely new movements.
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The Superb Jazz Sounds of Soho
After the turmoil of WWII, so much had been lost, but so much had also been shared. The musician soldiers of Europe had been introduced to the new jazz rhythms and sounds and made quick work of finding a new hub for it in the city of London. Bands started; clubs grew around those bands and Soho was the perfect melting pot for this to flourish with its location close to the transport centre and its wonderfully mixed communities.
In 2025, Jazz is still an integral fixture of the cultural nightlife and nighttime activity of this neighbourhood. Here is a collection of the best jazz clubs in Soho to enjoy and celebrate everything this music has given us all.
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
In 1959, the tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott and his business partner Pete King started a jazz legacy that would become one of the most famous names in entertainment all over the world. The club that now stands on Frith Street is a far cry from the rather humbler beginnings of their Gerard Street basement venue, but 60 years later, the spirit of jazz is still coursing through everything this place does. One is in the presence of greatness from the past with Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Sonny Rollins all taking to the stage here in front of the refined table seating, with incredible acoustics that ensure the sound is perfectly imperfect like all jazz should be. As you would expect, Ronnie Scott’s draws headline acts and world-class programming from across the globe but there are more intimate Sunday lunch bookings and Jam Sessions to enjoy here too. The story also goes that the legendary Jimi Hendrix performed his last show here just days before his tragic and untimely death. Every fibre of this venue is bristling with magic and history that creates an energy unlike anywhere else for music lovers.
Jazz After Dark
This venue has been responsible for some of the most distinct sounds of Soho’s famous Greek Street for 40 years. Sam Shaker opened Jazz After Dark as an intimate cocktail bar in his new home after migrating from Cairo and it serves as a great representation of a smaller bohemian hangout of live music until the small hours. The energy here is much less formal and more eclectic than the established jazz clubs, with an audience that often arrives long after midnight when the nearby Soho places have closed their doors. This is where the music is part of the furnishings, big crowds in small spaces congregate to witness acts that might be stepping up to bigger things and their attendance becomes an instrument in itself.
Jazz After Dark is also now inextricably linked with the talent of the modern jazz icon Amy Winehouse. Pictures and paintings fill the walls in remembrance of the woman who brought jazz back to the masses and played many performances in this very venue, often just a few feet away from the packed congregation. This is very much a modern classic that builds on Soho’s jazz legacy.
The Piano Bar Soho
The classic vision of a Soho nightspot was something of an endangered species in the early 2010s. Everything that one can imagine about the speakeasy-style venues and salons that defined this area in the mid-20th century was at risk of being replaced by the more formulaic footprint of big entertainment brands and venues. That was why The Piano Bar in Soho was such a breath of fresh air when it rose to notoriety around 2016. This place on Carlisle Street transports clients to a real cocktail lounge era of elegance, using jazz as the thread that pulls everything together in a refined and sophisticated way. It even follows the old private members model that the original jazz clubs would often use to ensure that like-minded people could enjoy their evenings together in an exclusive manner. Inside, the bustle of London streets is replaced by refined entertainment, exquisite drinks and a formal yet low-key energy that prioritises intimacy and quality for every performance and evening out.
Hidden Jazz Club, Stone Nest
Jazz developed and thrived within communities and groups that created their own scenes. It happened on the wings of word-of-mouth recommendations and exclusive invites that made everything feel exciting, vibrant and new. Recreating that feeling in our ultra connected world can be incredibly difficult, but happenings like Hidden Jazz Club in Soho are certainly making a good case.
These somewhat secretive evenings take place at Stone Nest, the stunning former site of the Welsh Presbyterian Chapel on Shaftesbury Avenue and deliver a unique and intimate jazz experience every time. Such is their reputation that top-tier level jazz musicians and bands regularly appear without fanfare and tickets often sell out before any line-up has been announced. The audience trusts the curated style of the event and understands that this intimate venue will always deliver on the promise of a relaxed atmosphere and once-in-a-lifetime performances. Hidden Jazz Club is definitely one for the connoisseurs but if you do manage to grab a ticket, then you are in for a sonic treat unlike any other jazz club that Soho has to offer.
The great Nina Simone once remarked that ‘Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, a way of being, a way of thinking’. For locations around the world that are fortunate enough to be part of the jazz story, this becomes evident in the very fabric of the venues and buildings where this fascinating art form is performed. Soho in central London definitely qualifies as a neighbourhood that shares this heritage and it looks set to keep jazz progressing for many years to come.
