On a recent weekend in London, I had one MUST do thing on my list. For some reason, the Buckingham Palace, Harrod’s, the Tate Modern barely popped onto my radar. Whenever I told people what I was going to do in London, I always said, “Go see live music at the Jazz Café.”

For those who aren’t familiar with the Jazz Café…it’s not a café and it really doesn’t even play much jazz. But many would claim that the restaurant/club/concert venue serves as the epicenter of global soul music in London, Europe, and maybe even the world.

I’ll blame Giles Peterson for my unique identification of a club with London. The world’s greatest soul music DJ, has a knack for featuring the most incredible live music sets from Jazz Café on BBC radio show. Jamiroquai. The Roots. Keziah Jones. Marisa Monte. You get the picture?

It’s a rite of passage for a true soul musician to perform at the Jazz Café. American artists like George Duke, Dionne Ferris, Van Hunt, the Roots began their international careers at the Jazz Café.

It became my own personal London rite of passage to see a show, any show, at the Jazz Café. I hadn’t even checked the lineup before I traveled to London by way of the Eurostar. Just to my surprise Omar would be playing that SAME weekend.

Omar. In London. At the Jazz Café.

For us acid jazz heads (does that term even exist?) and neo-soul followers, Omar is a legend. Even though he never really made it big in the States, he is considered to be the pioneer of acid jazz and neo soul. His breakout single, “There’s Nothing Like This,” is the type of song you just put on repeat, and listen to over, and over, and over again.

I knew his concert was going to be the best 22 pounds I had ever spent in my life.

Getting to the Jazz Café from the middle of London was easy. I just had to take the Black line up to the Camden. As I exited the station, the neighborhood struck as exactly the type of neighborhood for Jazz Café. Alternative. Edgy. Lots of music venues. Not so clean.

And finally, I made it to Jazz Café.

It was much more intimate than I had imagined. I guess I figured that a place with such incredible sound and musicians would be able to fit 1,000 people right? This place could fit 400 people tops. I realized that’s what would make my night so much more special.

Omar, clad in a white fitted shirt and jeans, sported his trademark dreaded, hi-top fade and played all of his hits; “It’s So,” “There’s nothing like this.” The multicultural crowd grooved together and we even sang some of his songs in unison.

And the end of the night, we were all a family. We had experienced Omar. In London. At the Jazz Café.

Posted in: Culture, Nightlife
Features: Bars/Clubs/Pubs, Jazz & Blues, Live Music