Manchester may be best known for punk and Britpop, but it also thrives on jazz through venues like Matt & Phreds, La Gitane, The Blues Kitchen and the Manchester Jazz Festival. Into this Manchester scene comes The Jazz Room, a sixty-minute live show blending New Orleans jazz with soul and blues. With a curated setlist of classics and room for improvisation, each night feels unique as swing-era favourites and legendary tunes like ‘Sing Sing Sing’, ‘All Of Me’ and ‘Cantaloupe Island’ are performed with energy that honours tradition while keeping jazz fresh in the city.
What is The Jazz Room?
Jazz was born in New Orleans, shaped by African, European and Caribbean influences, and nurtured by the blues and ragtime. It is a genre defined by improvisation, syncopated rhythms and expressive individuality, qualities that have made it one of the most influential musical traditions in the world. Its impact can be traced through the rise of rock ’n’ roll, the soul of Motown, the grooves of hip hop and even the pulse of modern electronic music.
What’s on at The Jazz Room in Manchester?
The Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans
In Manchester, The Jazz Room captures this legacy through a setlist that honours the greats while transporting the audience back to the bars of New Orleans. Louis Armstrong’s ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’ mingle with Fats Waller’s ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’, the Preservation Hall Band’s moving rendition of ‘Georgia on My Mind’, and the exhilarating swing of Louis Prima’s ‘Sing Sing Sing’. The result is a performance that bridges eras while keeping the improvisational heart of jazz alive.
The Jazz Room: Tribute to Soul
On select nights, The Jazz Room shifts from swing to a soulful tribute, tracing the genre’s roots in 1950s Detroit, Chicago and Memphis. With gospel-inspired vocals, smooth grooves and brass-driven melodies, the ensemble celebrates soul’s enduring influence through classics like Luther Vandross’ ‘Never Too Much’, Otis Redding’s ‘Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay’, Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’, Wilson Pickett’s ‘Mustang Sally’ and Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’, all delivered with the same improvisational spark that defines the show.
Reviews for The Jazz Room in Manchester
Since its debut in Manchester, The Jazz Room has received glowing reviews with concertgoers saying it “was an amazing performance”.
“An Unforgettable Jazz Experience! What a fantastic show! The performance by this talented Jazz ensemble was nothing short of extraordinary.” – 15 June
“It was a brilliant concert. Thank you.” – 15 June
“Fabulous band, fabulous singers and great venue! Please come to Manchester again” – 15 June
“Fantastic experience !” – 15 June
As Art Blakey once said, “jazz washes away the dust of everyday life”. If you are looking for a moment of escape, The Jazz Room at Band on the Wall offers exactly that. For one hour, you will be transported to the birthplace of jazz, surrounded by melodies that are at once timeless and alive. With a drink in hand, the glow of soft lighting, and the sound of a Mancunian jazz band channelling New Orleans, the experience is as close as it gets to stepping back into the 1920s.