Jazzhus Montmartre

Jazzhus Montmartre
Name	Jazzhus Montmartre
Caption	Interior of Jazzhus Montmartre
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Type	Jazz club
Opened	1959
Reopened	2010s

Jazzhus Montmartre is a historic jazz club in Copenhagen, Denmark, founded in 1959 and renowned for hosting international and Scandinavian jazz luminaries. The venue became a central hub for expatriate American musicians, European improvisers, and visiting artists from United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden. Over decades it has played a pivotal role in recordings, tours, and cultural exchanges involving figures associated with Blue Note Records, Verve Records, Columbia Records, ECM Records, and Storyville (record label).

History

Opened in 1959 by local entrepreneurs and enthusiasts influenced by postwar transatlantic culture, the club quickly attracted artists connected to Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Duke Ellington traditions. During the 1960s and 1970s it became a second home for expatriates such as Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Kenny Drew, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, who often performed alongside Danish musicians associated with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Palle Mikkelborg, and Svend Asmussen. The venue's run was interrupted by changing urban economies and nightlife trends in the 1970s and 1980s, echoing challenges faced by venues in Greenwich Village, Soho, and Harlem. Renovation and revival efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries mirrored restorations of institutions like Village Vanguard, Birdland (New York City), and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.

Venue and Architecture

Located in central Copenhagen near theaters, galleries, and institutions such as Det Kongelige Teater, Nyhavn, and Rosenborg Castle, the club's interior combined intimate seating with acoustic considerations influenced by club designs in Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Original décor referenced bohemian influences associated with Montmartre (Paris), and the space supported configurations used by groups ranging from trios linked to Oscar Peterson lineage to big bands associated with Duke Ellington Orchestra alumni. Sound engineering at various times involved technicians connected to studios like RCA Studio B, Capitol Studios, and Sun Studio, while lighting and staging practices reflected trends from Royal Danish Theatre productions and European jazz festivals such as Montreux Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival.

Notable Performers and Recordings

Montmartre hosted a wide array of performers whose careers intersected with labels and artists including Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Horace Silver, Lee Konitz, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Larry Young, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Terence Blanchard, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Charles Lloyd, Geri Allen, Mulatu Astatke, Tete Montoliu, Kenny Clarke, Jo Jones, Ben Webster's Copenhagen residencies produced recordings analogous to studio sessions on Blue Note Records and Prestige Records. Live albums recorded at the venue were issued on SteepleChase Records, Storyville (record label), and Sonet Records, contributing to discographies of artists such as Dexter Gordon and Kenny Drew and to compilations alongside releases by Jan Johansson and Alex Riel.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

The club influenced Copenhagen's identity as a jazz capital alongside festivals and conservatories like Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Royal Academy of Music (Aarhus/Aalborg). It fostered collaborations between American expatriates and European artists including Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Palle Danielsson, Bobo Stenson, Lennart Åberg, Jan Garbarek, and John Tchicai. Montmartre's role paralleled venues tied to cultural movements like Beat Generation salons in San Francisco and modern jazz hubs in London and Paris Jazz Club. Its archive influenced scholarship at institutions such as University of Copenhagen, Royal Danish Library, Smithsonian Institution, and collections related to European Free Jazz and Third Stream studies.

Management and Ownership

Throughout its history management has involved figures from Copenhagen's music scene, producers connected to labels like SteepleChase Records and promoters associated with Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Danish Arts Foundation. Ownership and operational models shifted between private entrepreneurs, cooperative collectives, and investor groups similar to arrangements at Village Vanguard and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Management engaged booking agents and impresarios who worked with talent agencies such as William Morris Endeavor, ICM Partners, and European counterparts handling tours for artists affiliated with Blue Note Records and ECM Records.

Reopening and Recent Activities

After periods of closure, the venue was restored and reopened with programming that included residencies, international tours, and festival tie-ins with entities like Copenhagen Jazz Festival, European Jazz Network, and Nordic Music Days. Recent seasons have featured Scandinavian and international artists associated with ECM Records, ACT Music, Stunt Records, and independent labels, continuing a legacy of recordings and broadcasts on platforms connected to DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), BBC Radio 3, and NPR Jazz. The club remains a destination for artists linked to contemporary scenes involving Tigran Hamasyan, Jacob Karlzon, Mats Gustafsson, Maria Kjærgaard, Jakob Bro, Lukas Graham collaborators, and emerging talents cultivated by academies like Rhythmic Music Conservatory.

Category:Jazz clubs Category:Music venues in Copenhagen