Ya Like Jazz?

On Friday night, a group of us went out to Caveau de la Huchette, a jazz club located in the Latin Quater. A historic site that has quite the history linked with the city and the Freemasons, the Caveau de la Huchette has been hosting jazz bands every night since 1946.

The entrance area is complete with a bar and tables to enjoy a drink or two while the sounds of jazz band can be heard from below. Once you’ve finished your drink (or if you’re feeling confident you won’t spill it) head downstairs to witness the live band performing and packed dance floor. There’s not much room to maneuver, but the experience is like none other. Couples are swing dancing on every inch of the dance floor, the band is playing at full volume, and the energy is vibrant and full of life. When you scan the faces of the other patrons, you’ll be hard pressed to find one not having an enjoyable night.

In America, when we think about jazz the things that come to mind are the history of black community in the 20th century and Louis Armstrong, who was one of the most influential musicians in the world. So how did this American-born genre of music make an impact in Europe, specifically France?

During World War I, African American soldiers brought jazz to Europe, and during the decade after the war the genre took hold. Especially in France were the country used it to express the relief cause by the end of the Great War. Many american artists left for Paris as in cultivated a more “laid back” way of life that seemed more welcoming. These artists moved into Paris’ Lower Montmartre, which became known as Black Montmartre during the 1920’s, and soon the Parisian jazz movement started. The French believed they could elevated this american “pop” music into something better, and in 1930’s, the first French jazz band was formed and toured across Europe.

However, in World War II when France was occupied by Nazi Germany the music genre was outlawed due to its roots in the black community. The artists that had found a home in Paris were forced back to America, and Parisian artists moved underground into the soundproof cellars of St.Germain-des-Pres and in the Latin Quarter. Where we experienced a jazz club as it would have been operated in the 1940’s during the war.

The stairs down into the cellar of the club.

Musicians returned to Paris after the war ended, and the first Festival International de Jazz in Paris began in 1948. Jazz musicians continued to steal the hearts of the French music scene, and still continue to do so in these jamming clubs around the city.

In conclusion, the French really do like jazz.