Jamboree Jazz & Dance Club Barcelona | Sixty Years of Sweat, Sax … and Surprise Twerking



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Mofie
Jamboree Jazz & Dance Club Barcelona | Sixty Years of Sweat, Sax … and Surprise Twerking

Jamboree 

Alright, Barcelona night owls, time to grab your imaginary beret and a real-life mojito—we’re diving into Jamboree, the legendary cellar on Plaça Reial where jazz icons once wailed and today’s party monsters still spill rum on their sneakers. If you’ve roamed our Barcelona Party Animals Pub Crawl, you already know the crooked stairway that drops you into brick-vault heaven. If not, keep reading, fake a sax solo, and meet us there next Thursday.

From Scout Lingo to Saxophone Shrine

Way back in 1960, businessman Joan Rosselló flipped the old Brindis bar at Plaça Reial 17 into a jazz cave. Critic Javier Coma slapped it with the name “Jamboree,” a Zulu word scouts use for “big tribal reunion.” Cool flex, Javier. The Jubilée Jazz Club moved its gigs here, and—oops, almost overnight—Barcelona turned into a must-hit layover for touring jazz royalty. Sailors from the U.S. Sixth Fleet clogged the doorway, local poets nursed cognac in the corner, and the city’s cool meter spiked faster than you can say “bebop.”

The Swingin’ Sixties Roll Call

Need bragging rights? Try these names on for size: Chet Baker, Stéphane Grappelli, Ornette Coleman, Dexter Gordon, Lou Bennett, Tete Montoliu—yeah, the Tete—plus a cameo reel of Catalan all-stars like Francesc Burrull and Salvador “Mantequilla” Font. Jamboree even convinced Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington to play the Palau de la Música in ’66. Imagine stumbling into that show after too many vermouths. RIP my eardrums.

The ’90s: Olympic Fever & Two-Show Nights

Fast-forward to 1992. Barcelona’s busy lighting torches for the Olympics when lawyer Javier Cámara rescues the dormant venue, reviving the jazz cellar vibe. A year later the Mas i Mas group buys in and turns up the volume: two live shows every night, 365 days a year, followed by a dance session run by top-shelf Black-music DJs. Basically a workout class disguised as a club. You’re welcome, calves.

Legends, Locals & a Baby-Faced Brad Mehldau

Between ’93 and 2010, Jamboree’s stage becomes a revolving door: Brad Mehldau records one of his first albums in the basement (baby Brad, aw), Elvin Jones batters the kit, Chris Cheek and Seamus Blake duel on tenor, while Barcelona’s home-grown killers—Perico Sambeat, the Rossy bros, Carme Canela—spar alongside. The booking sheet reads like a Spotify playlist your grandad and your trendy cousin could actually agree on.

Golden Medals & WTF Mondays

Fifty candles on the cake, and in 2010 the city hands Jamboree its Gold Medal—fancy. Programmer Pierre Béchet marks the jubilee with heavyweights Jimmy Cobb and Christian Scott, plus newbie phenom Andrea Motis. Then come the WTF! Monday jam sessions (2001–07 technically, but the vibe lingers): hip-hop MCs rapping over upright bass, DJs dropping electronica behind trumpet solos, kids discovering jazz because it came with a backbeat. Your mind says “what the…”; your feet say “keep going.”

2018 & Beyond: Still Blowing Hard at Sixty

Mas i Mas hits its 25-year milestone in 2018 and signs swap deals with London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club and the Global Music Foundation. Translation: fresh British talent every month and international workshops where a random sax legend might critique your scale warm-ups. Today the playlist runs from blues to funk to groove, but jazz is still king. And yes, the cellar remains open every single night—because musicians and vampires share a schedule.

What Jamboree Feels Like in 2025 (Spoiler: Sweaty)

  • Layout Two brick-arched naves with a stage barely wider than a drum kit. Low ceiling, zero phone service, 100 percent atmosphere. If you’re tall, duck.

  • Sound Warm, punchy, a bit too loud after midnight—exactly how a jazz cave should hurt.

  • Crowd Tourists hunting “authentic Barcelona,” local jazz nerds, Erasmus dancers, and our pub-crawl herd clapping on beats 2 and 4 (usually).

  • Drinks Craft beer on tap, cava by the glass, or a lethal “Plaça Reial” rum punch that tastes like holiday regrets.

Pro Tips From Your Chronically Late Crawl Captain

  • Buy tickets online for the early set; it sells out faster than you think. You can often stick around for set #2 if you look harmless and order another drink.

  • Shoes Wear something grippy. That cellar floor turns into an ice rink when condensation meets spilt mojito.

  • Post-show dance session Starts about 1 a.m. DJs spin soul, funk, Afrobeat—yes, you will body-roll under 18th-century bricks and it will feel weirdly perfect.

  • Hydrate The bar will give you a courtesy glass of water if you ask in Catalan: “Una mica d’aigua, si us plau.” Bonus smile.

Why Jamboree Stays on Our Crawl Map

Authenticity with a capital “A.” You can pregame on the Rambla, slide into Jamboree for live sax fireworks, then stumble five steps to sister club Sidecar or the reggae den Karma next door. Plus, where else can you watch a 70-year-old pianist shred Monk and then two hours later grind to Burna Boy in the same square metre? Exactly.

Need More Night-Magic Reading?

Ready to Jam IRL?

Grab a ticket for Jamboree’s 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. set, or come along with Barcelona Party Animals Pub Crawl the wristband scores you line-skip privileges and zero judgment when you mispronounce “Monk.” Book it here: https://www.barcelonaanimalspubcrawl.com/


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