New Morning Jazz Club in Paris

[LWayne]

I saw a posting on the Chris Potter website that he and his group Underground will be playing in Paris on Tuesday, November 25th when I am there on vacation.

This is great news, and I am anxious to find details on the concert. They are playing at the venerable New Morning Jazz Club (www.newmorning.com). However, when I send an email to the club at the address mentioned on their website (contact@newmorning.com) the email came back as undeliverable.

I have heard of the reputation of this club. Admittedly my French is bad, but I can certainly click on a "contact" link.

Does anyone know this club and advise a way for me to contact them in advance regarding tickets, reservations, and directions?

Many Thanks.

Regards,

Wayne

[Tom Storer]

The New Morning is a pretty good club that wastes no money on decor or comfort. Folding wooden chairs, little round tables to set your drinks on, and they pack them in tight when they can. Nice vibe, though. No Paris jazz fan gets through the year without going to at least a couple of concerts there, often more. Holds about 300 max when it's packed, including standing room only by the bar.

They don't take reservations. You can get tickets beforehand from ticket counters at the FNAC chain of CD/book/etc. stores, the Virgin Records on the Champs Elysées, and the Galeries Lafayette department store near the Saint Lazare train station, or from the New Morning itself either on the night of the concert or on prior days in late afternoon or early evening. Alternatively, you can pay online and have them send you the tickets through the mail--although I note that the late November programming isn't available for pre-order on the site yet, and you might not want to risk doing that from abroad, although I've never had any trouble doing it locally.

On the night of the concert, they let in everyone first who has already purchased a ticket, and only then those who still need to buy one. That's why it's wise to visit one of those aforementioned ticket places, or the New Morning itself, to get your ticket beforehand. Music starts (theoretically) at 9 PM, doors open at 8 PM. They have a bar and often sell overpriced, undersized sandwiches until they run out, but you'd be better off getting a bite to eat first, and getting on line before 8 if you really want a good seat.

Oh, yeah--it's pretty centrally located on the right bank, not far from the Chateau d'Eau metro station on line 4. The recorded announcement you get when you call them is emblazoned on my memory, so often have I heard it... "7 et 9 rue des Petites Ecuries au métro Chateau d'Eau dans le 10ème arrondissement." Pick up a little Paris map book and you'll find it very easily.

Edited October 13, 2008 by Tom Storer