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Don't miss ''The Jazz Bar''
The Jazz Bar was created by, and is operated by Edinburgh-based drummer and jazz organiser Bill Kyle, and opened its doors on 1 July 2005. As a musician, Bill has been heavily involved, both playing and organising, on the Scottish jazz scene for many years, living in Glasgow and Edinburgh, five years in London, and a year in New York. He's listed in the 'Who's Who in British Jazz' publication.
People often ask Bill, "So, is this a lifetime dream then, owning your own Jazz Club?" Answer - No Way! There was never any intention of getting involved in property, until a chain of events started, from 2001 to 2005. Coming back to this property is a bit of a full circle for Bill, he used to play in this room in the late 90s when it was the popular jazz spot known as Cellar No 1. It was a lot smaller then, very Bohemian, crammed every night, a great place for live music. But then in late 2001 the property was acquired by Edinburgh multiple pub operator Festival Inns, who promptly closed it for six months to expand and revamp the internals. And when it reopened, it was not to have a live jazz policy, but DJs and rock bands.
So Bill lost his regular Cellar No 1 jazz gigs. Damn! Having seen how those gigs were so popular, he was convinced that there was audience support for a jazzy gig, and searched the area for a suitable bar to start up a new gig. He found one - just around the corner! A run-down, dingy, previously Irish-themed bar had just come on the market in South Bridge, in early 2002. Bill was running a successful IT business then, and had no intention of becoming a pub owner, but here was an interesting and somewhat challenging opportunity. If he could acquire the lease somehow, maybe, just maybe, he could create a "Jazz Bar" with live jazz as its focus - something never before (or since!) done anywhere else in the UK.
It meant borrowing loads of money to refurb the large property (it was pretty run down), but he went for it, and Scotlandâs first dedicated jazz venue 'The Bridge Jazz Bar' opened up in April 2002. It quickly became a huge success, until it was tragically totally destroyed (with everything in it!) in the massive Cowgate Fire of Saturday 7th December 2002. It was a hard personal financial blow. Bill lost everything - and worse, the Insurance payout was negligible. The Bridge Jazz Bar had only lasted seven months, but the incredibly strong level of support that was there for that venue gave him the confidence, motivation and determination to do it all over again. It then took him over two long years of searching to find a suitable property - this one! And it's right back in the room where he used to play!
It turned out that Festival Inns, who opened the place in mid-2002 after their extensive revamp, couldn't really make the place work. They tried several changes of name and format, but still the room was not a success. So Bill acquired the lease in early 2005, and The Jazz Bar opened in July that year. The rest will be history!