Friday jazz grooves at London’s best kept secret | Review

“Life is a lot like jazz. It’s best when you improvise”. It is only once visiting Troy Bar on a Friday night that these words from major jazz innovator George Gershwin made sense to me. The experience feels more like a life lesson. Musicians play so effortlessly, and it seems like there have been hours of rehearsal. But no. They prove that, despite there being many music genres, the best one to represent life must be jazz. Why? Because, like life, it must be improvised.

As stated on their website, Troy Bar is certainly “London’s best kept secret”. On a hidden corner of Hoxton Street in Shoreditch, there it is, a treasure where genuinely talented musicians perform. From Spirit and Soul open mic every Tuesday to Reggae night every Thursday. Today, on a Friday night, it’s Jazz Grooves. All for just a fiver.

As you arrive, the bar looks no different from any other. A selection of drinks is on display, some of the typical ones. A glass of Jack Daniels honey with Coke, five quid; not bad considering we’re at the heart of London. But it is only once you walk right into the main area that you will notice the uniqueness of the place. It’s like travelling back in time, to the 30s, maybe. This part of the room where the magic happens, looks like the basement of a huge old house. The only difference is that this basement isn’t the forgotten part of the building, it’s the part where everybody gathers to share that one thing they all have in common.

There are people in their 20s and 30s, but there are older people too, all sharing the joy of jazz. The age range and diversity of the public reveal how classics never get old; anyone, any age, can enjoy them.

Passion fills the room. Skilled musicians play their instruments with great precision proving their talent to be transparent. All performers are seemingly in their 20s and there’s a high level of professionalism mixed with their enthusiasm for the genre. It’s evidence of what the bar describes on its website; “It’s as though they have been playing forever’. It makes them just as good as any veteran musician. Being surrounded by true talent makes one want to form part of those cool people on stage that you end up truly admiring by the end of the night. The feeling is mutual, as my friend who joins me tonight shouts in my ear, “I just wished I could play an instrument like that!”. That’s how much power the music has over you. It just penetrates deep into you, inspiring you, making you feel alive.

Everything looks like it makes sense in here. The people that play, all different to each other in many ways but transmitting the same energy. A white female saxophonist with a funky style similar to P!nk’s stands next to a Caribbean saxophonist with dreads and a Jamaican street style, bringing his own culture into the mix. They all come together and blend in with their instruments to create a marvellous sound, like spices in a flavoursome meal. The venue brings people together, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Troy Bar feels like the house of the good old classics that never die. It’s a place of history and culture, experienced first-hand through the sounds of real instruments and those who play them. A feature that catches anyone’s eye is the massive wall decor of the iconic Frank Sinatra, with a lyric from one of his songs that have conquered hearts around the world, “I did it my way”. It goes perfectly with the atmosphere; everything is spontaneous.

People dance spontaneously, just following the music. Nobody judges. It isn’t like the typical snobbish bars in central London, it’s a homey place of people who come to be themselves and enjoy being able to do so. If you want a good night out, where you can be effortless and enjoy the sounds of real music in a safe and warm environment, you should give Troy Bar a go.