Travel
Paris - and all that jazz
A walking tour of the French capital takes in its historic jazz hotspots
June 17, 2016 08:53
A walking tour of the French capital takes in its historic jazz hotspots
June 17, 2016 08:53In Paris you can have a perfectly wonderful weekend just wandering the streets indulging in the fine Parisian art of "flanerie" (strolling around). But if you are looking for a deeper connection to the City of Lights then I suggest you give your trip a soundtrack.
Since the 1920s jazz has been integrally linked to Paris. After the First World War, jazz musicians from the US flocked to the city to mix with the bohemian circles that included writer Ernest Hemingway and surrealist painter Salvador Dali. Black musicians facing discrimination and segregation in their home country found they were welcomed by Parisians, who were fascinated by them and their music.
As such, jazz hubs sprang up across the city, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Michel on the Left Bank, and Montmartre in the north of Paris.
I sampled a Context Travel walking jazz tour where a professional musician guided the group on a private tour of the historical hotspots of jazz, pointing out the clubs – some still in existence, some since converted – the cafés, and hotels that musicians used to frequent. Each stop was further illustrated with a jazz number played on the iPods handed out at the beginning of the tour, allowing participants to walk the winding streets of Saint-Germain listening to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald or Django Reinhardt. Our tour guide recommended visiting Chez Papa, at 3 rue Saint-Benoît, which hosts almost nightly jazz sessions.
Should you wish to totally immerse yourself in the music, I recommend staying at a hotel with a history of jazz. The luxurious Hotel la Trémoille has a black and white Paris Match photo displayed prominently in its foyer showing world-famous musicians Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington hanging out of its windows.
Getting there
Eurostar operates up to 21 daily services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord with one-way fares starting from £29 (price based on a return journey). Fastest London to Paris journey time is 2hr 15 minutes.
Standard Premier one-way fares from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare Du Nord start from £97.50 (price based on a return journey).
Tickets are available from eurostar.com or 03448 224 777.
Hotel la Trémoille: Rates at Hotel la Trémoille start from around €360 (£282) per room per night including a continental breakfast and wi-fi.
For further information or to book, visit hotel-tremoille.com, or call +33 156521400.
For a more budget-friendly option, the two-star Hotel La Louisiane in Saint-Germain has a long history of serving as a low-key hideaway for musicians and other celebrities, including Quentin Tarantino, to go incognito in the heart of Paris. American musician Bud Powell was a resident and other jazz greats such as Miles Davis and Chet Baker used to meet and stay there.
Not only did Paris embrace American jazz, but it developed its own form of the music. Jazz manouche or gypsy jazz became extremely popular in the 1930s. It is often said to have originated with Django Reinhardt, a Belgian-born gypsy of Romani descent. Originally a banjo player, incredibly he taught himself the guitar after two of his fingers on his left hand were badly damaged when his caravan caught fire. Along with the violinist Stephane Grapelli he established France's first jazz ensemble, the all-strings Quintette du Hot Club de France. Thanks to a style of rhythm guitar strumming known as "la pompe", manouche jazz has a more percussive swing sound than American jazz.
Jazz manouche is still alive and well in Paris today, with countless concerts across the city inspired by Reinhardt's style. For concert information go to: parisjazzclub.net/en/accueil/.
Today, some of the city's most famous jazz clubs can be found along the slightly seedy looking strip on rue des Lombards in the Les Halles area, Duc des Lombards being undoubtedly the most celebrated. Concerts are popular and often sell out though, so be sure to book ahead. Ticket prices are usually around 30€.
Meanwhile in Saint-Michel, historic jazz clubs host live music in their cave-like cellars where vaulted ceilings, bare brick walls and an intimate setting create the perfect jazz atmosphere. I highly recommend Caveau des Oubliettes, where entry is free or €5 after 10pm, and the nearby Caveau de la Huchette, where entry is around €15.
