Tom P.
Yelp
After the demise of the Bridge Jazz bar in the Cowgate's devastating fire in 2002, the Edinburgh scene was once more missing a vital component - somewhere for the jazz cats to chill. It was several years before the Bridge's owner Bill Kyle managed to get a new premises, but when he took over the Cellar Bar on Chambers Street, previously the Blue Note Jazz Cellar, he got it just right.
The Jazz Bar is small, dark, underground, and moody - everything a jazz bar should be in this musician's opinion. You almost don't miss the clichéd smoke that Scotland's smoking ban put pay to!
There's live music every night of the week, with two shows many nights. It's free to get in most of the time too, though the most popular nights (Friday/Saturday after 11pm) now charge - never more than £5 unless there's a big name guest playing. These charges were introduced with consultation with the Jazz Bar clientele, and ensure that the musicians are paid fairly, so are not to be grudged. You'll need to get there early to get a seat on the busy nights, but if you get there before the door charge kicks in you don't have to pay to stay, so it makes sense...
The music ranges from pretty straight jazz, such as the Saturday night house quintet (usually unrehearsed but great quality musicians) to funk jams and DJs late nights through the week. The programme has also recently branched out into singer-songwriter nights and even poetry nights, usually run by external promoters. The quality of musicians is almost always superb though, Edinburgh boasting some of the country's finest young jazz musicians.
Drinks are in the upper end of Edinburgh's price range, £3 for a pint of San Miguel (at least it's decent beer!) but this is to be expected in such a small place. There's a huge range of spirits behind the bar, a cocktail list, and even some special soft drinks - the Bundaberg Ginger Beer being a definite treat.
If you want a guaranteed atmosphere, the Jazz Bar has it, basically!