Le Jazz Hot, An American Art Form in Paris

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Despite its reputation as a distinctly American art form, much of jazz’s developmental history can be traced back to the underground clubs of Paris. Beginning with the first European tour of an American jazz band in 1919 and continuing to the present day, the city has displayed a fervent love affair with jazz and its ambassadors, providing musicians with a vibrant club scene and enthusiastic audiences. As Miles Davis wrote in his autobiography, “Everything changed while I was in Paris.  It was like magic, almost like I had been hypnotized…It was April in Paris and, yeah, I was in love.” On this two-hour walk through the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter, we will explore the magic and the history of Jazz in Paris, visiting some of its former haunts and finishing off by discovering the current scene at a live concert.

With its hunger for new ideas and lack of racial segregation, post-war Paris was the perfect venue to i

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Despite its reputation as a distinctly American art form, much of jazz’s developmental history can be traced back to the underground clubs of Paris. Beginning with the first European tour of an American jazz band in 1919 and continuing to the present day, the city has displayed a fervent love affair with jazz and its ambassadors, providing musicians with a vibrant club scene and enthusiastic audiences. As Miles Davis wrote in his autobiography, “Everything changed while I was in Paris.  It was like magic, almost like I had been hypnotized…It was April in Paris and, yeah, I was in love.” On this two-hour walk through the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter, we will explore the magic and the history of Jazz in Paris, visiting some of its former haunts and finishing off by discovering the current scene at a live concert.

With its hunger for new ideas and lack of racial segregation, post-war Paris was the perfect venue to introduce Europe to the new American sound.  Musicians flocked to the city and several were so taken by the vibrant and supportive atmosphere that they expatriated permanently. Saint Germain des Pres, with its high concentration of students, existentialists and underground caves, became the unofficial neighborhood of “bebop” in the 40’s and 50’s, and when Dizzy Gillespie first brought his new sound to these clubs, he was met with audiences more supportive and excited than their American counterparts.

As we work our way through the Left Bank, we will pass by several of the legendary clubs, some which are still in operation. We may also have a look at the home of Django Reinhardt as we stroll along the same streets Jean-Paul Sartre and Juliet Greco walked on their way to see Miles Davis perform at Club St. Germain. We will have a chance to go  underground and visit the caves where European jazz fans smoked, drank and listened to American musicians until the early morning hours and even get a taste, first hand, of the music they heard. 

Finally, we’ll cross the Seine and head towards the rue des Lombards, where we will end our walk leaving you at one of Paris’ premier jazz clubs in time in case you would like to attend an evening show featuring the top players in the city’s contemporary scene.

For visitors interested in African-American History in Paris, we recommend the in-depth tour "Black Paris after WWII" organized by Entrée to Black Paris Tours.