A new jazz club – named Toots Jazz Club, after the iconic Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans – will open its doors on 15 May, just off Brussels' Grand Place in the heart of the city.
The project is spearheaded by pianist Joachim Caffonnette, a key figure on the Belgian jazz scene, and his non-profit organisation Toots Live. Through this venue, Caffonnette aims to offer "a festive, eclectic and challenging vision" of what famous French jazz pianist Michel Petrucciani called "21st-century classical music."
After reviving the historic Sounds jazz club in Ixelles, the Toots Live collective is now taking over the city centre to bring the best of Belgian and international jazz to life in a quintessentially Brussels atmosphere.
Toots Jazz Club will be housed in an iconic building at Rue des Chapeliers 6 – formerly occupied by 'Chez Luc', then 'Chez Patrick', and finally 'Le Chapot' – a bar where swing nights have left their mark on dance and jazz lovers.
A young Toots Thielemans. The new jazz club is being named after this iconic Belgian musician. Credit: Be Culture
This new intimate club will offer a rich programme, with at least eight musical events per week. Wednesdays and weekends will be dedicated to high-quality jam sessions after hours, with free admission. Thursdays are open to dancers and will feature pre-1950s jazz.
On Fridays and Saturdays, two sets will showcase the best of Belgian and international jazz. Sunday afternoons will be reserved for the 'Nostalgia In Grand Place' concert series. This will be open to local groups, who will take on specific repertoires, such as compositions by individual musicians or historic albums.
The club will offer table service during concerts, as well as a carefully selected selection of draft beers, cocktails for a New Orleans atmosphere, and fine bottles of wine, champagne, gueuze, and premium beers to share while listening to the best improvisers of the moment.
A wide selection of non-alcoholic beers and refined cocktails will also be available for those who wish to enjoy music to their heart's content.
To celebrate this opening, the Toots Jazz Club will host a special evening on Thursday 15 May. The opening line-up, featuring historical figures who played with the Baron des Marolles and musicians from the younger generation, will be unveiled on the new club's website on 29 April – Toots' birthday.
