New Toots Jazz Club to open in Brussels’ Grand Place on 15 May

The Toots Jazz Club will open its doors just off Brussels' Grand Place on 15 May with a special evening dedicated to its namesake, the late jazz legend Toots Thielemans.

Launched by jazz pianist Joachim Caffonnette and his non-profit organisation Toots Live, the new space is devoted to jazz and zwanze.

Its aim is to offer a festive, eclectic and challenging vision of what Michel Petrucciani called "21st-century classical music", says the nonprofit.

After reviving a historic club in Ixelles, the Toots Live collective promises to bring the best of Belgian and international jazz to life in a typically Brussels atmosphere.

The club is housed in an iconic building at 6 Rue des Chapeliers, formerly occupied by Le Chapot, a bar that was popular among dance and jazz fans for its swing nights.

The new intimate space offers a rich programme with around eight musical events per week. Wednesdays and weekends are dedicated to free after-hours high-quality jam sessions. Thursdays are open to dancers and are feature pre-1950s jazz. On Fridays and Saturdays, two sets will showcase the best of Belgian and international jazz, while Sunday afternoons will stage the "Nostalgia In Grand Place" concert series.

On the refreshment front, the club offers table service during concerts with a drinks menu that includes Belgian and draft beers as well as wine, Champagne and cocktails for "a New Orleans atmosphere".

Toots Jazz Club’s opening lineup on 15 May will feature musicians who played with Tielemans. The full programme is due to be unveiled on 29 April, on what would have been Toots’ 103rd birthday.

Photo: Toots Thielemans ©Toots Jazz Club