Advice please on jazz venues (and artists)!

[Nick Armstrong]

This summer, I will be hosting a guest from abroad (Minsk, in fact - see R3 presenters thread this weekend ). He's a jazz guitarist, with a preference for jazz-funk and other fusion genres (jazz synthesised with rock/hip-hop/"difficult African rythmical things"). "I love all progressive and new wave directions" he tells me.

I wonder whether the venues I know (Ronnie Scotts, Jazz Café, 606) are likely to be the best places for him to get his fix.

Can jazzers hereabouts recommend any particular venues worth investigating for live music in the above genres?

Ditto, any artists to look out for who may be playing over the summer?

London is going to be easiest, but the possibility of a road-trip to other venues is certainly not excluded.

As it happens, I've been listening a lot to the album We Out Here which I love and which gives a number of leads

And I've also read the Guardian article covered in this thread which has some overlap with We Out Here.

I've also discovered that there are free-to-join jam sessions plus cheap workshops at the Hideaway on Monday nights, which might be a great way for my guest to get in touch with like-minded players...

Any suggestions gratefully received, to facilitate what looks like it's going to be a jazzy summer !

(There's also a thirst on my guest's part to hear plenty of classical music, so the Proms are going to get a visit or two I imagine!)

[Serial_Apologist]

The dancey stuff not being what I go for, I'm not much help there, Cali; but one thing I can do is recommend The Hideaway, which I have not visited for a couple of years now ever since they changed their musical policy in the direction your friend may be seeking. The surrounding side streets are, or used to be, pretty good for parking if you're driving, though you may have to locate a few minutes' walk from the venue. Time Out may be of some help.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks S_A, yes the Hideaway had struck me as a good possibility (see link near the end of my OP) - looks a fun place, good to know it's accessible. Those jam/workshop sessions look like a good extra resource, as well as the live gigs.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks S_A, yes the Hideaway had struck me as a good possibility (see link near the end of my OP) - looks a fun place, good to know it's accessible. Those jam/workshop sessions look like a good extra resource, as well as the live gigs.

And you get to sample that rare south-of-the-River vibe taxi drivers talk about that's so life affirming!

[Nick Armstrong]

And you get to sample that rare south-of-the-River vibe taxi drivers talk about that's so life affirming!

Not to mention the inexpressible sense of returning home when driving north over Westminster Bridge at the end of the evening!

[Quarky]

Just some general comments, Caliban, as I no longer frequent Jazz-haunts.

North London, Soho, Islington, Stoke Newington has tons of Jazz Venues. e.g. Ronnie Scotts, and just up the road, Pizza Express would host the type of music your friend may be interested in.

But it would be the Summer, where many Jazz Musicians may be playing at festivals or on tour.

May be check out the Websites of Musicians he would like to hear, and see what they are up to in the Summer - e.g. Maisha, Portobello Road.