The boss of an iconic jazz bar says he was “surprised” and “confused” after his late license application for a London website was rejected, questioning him for live music in the capital.
Steven Bensusan – President of Blue Note Entertainment Group and son of the original Blue Note Cafe founder Danny Bensusan – told Sky News: “If they don’t give us a late license, I can’t imagine how they would support other smaller venues, which is important to the ecosystem in general.
“To survive music and keep thriving and growing, you need the nutritional rooms. They need the smaller venues, and you need the venues like the Blue Note. It is important for the music.”
The planned venue in a former gym on St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, was planning to become the flagship European site of the bar.
The club applied to the Westminster City Council to stay open until 1am to serve alcohol.
In February, however, the Met police objected to the Jazz Club’s application for fear that it could cause an ‘uptick in crime’.
In response to the refusal, Mr. Bensusan said: “In every city that we ever opened the club, they rolled out the red carpet and really tried to go further and have us there because they realized that we were good for the economy.
‘We generate a lot of work and bring not just the nightlife, but a cultural moment to the city. I’ve never experienced it before. ‘
Ezra Collective played at Blue Note vocals around the world. Photo: Michael Kusumadjaya
“It seems that there is a bigger problem”
Many of the capital’s nightlife rooms have been struggling since the pandemic and Brexit, amid the cost of living crisis, rising rent and falling footfall.
Mr. Bensusan says the rejection of his late license emphasizes a bigger problem: “There seems to be a problem in general. Many music rooms have been closed over the years since Covid and they are not coming back. Many people believe it has to do with very restrictive policies like this.”
While Mr. Bensusan marked the ‘more mature and reverent’ nature of the jazz audience, it seems that the police concern is that guests are falling a prey for crime, rather than feeding it.
In their objection, the Met said that jazz fans “leave the venue late at night” can become a target for telephone buters as well as illegal taxis that “prey on vulnerable, intoxicated lonely women”.
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Local residents also called on councilors to limit the closing time of the venue to 23:00, with one saying that they feared that “ominous” club visitors, “disoriented by their rise in the cool night air” would be immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals already preying on similar groups of people.
Mr. Bensusan says a proposed closing time of 23:30 would be ‘impossible’, and will not allow musicians to play two sets a night.
He said he was also “a little confused” about why the blue note was denied a 1 hour license, while others in the area had a later license.
By comparison, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club just has a license along the road in Soho until 3am.
Mr Bensusan has now filed appeal.
A petition of change.org set up by a jazz fan in support of the club has so far attracted more than 2500 signatures.
Robert Glasper acts on Blue Note. Photo: Dervon Dixon
Plans to nurture emerging talent
The Blue Note website in London proposed a 250-capacity main showroom “with legendary artists”, plus a smaller room with 100 capacity to showcase emerging artists.
Mr. Bensusan told Sky News: “There are so many big British artists who want to help us build. I think we can do this in light of the platform we have, and our ability to tour some of the artists to markets where we are around the world.”
Many British artists who have played in the Blue Note clubs over the years, including Ezra Collective, Jamie Cullum and Nubya Garcia, have since achieved international success. Mr Bensusan says he wants to “help grow”.
He goes on: “Our goal is to focus on the best artists from all over the world and give them the platform to play long runs. They don’t just come to the city for a concert and then leave. Our runs usually go between four and six nights a week for two shows per night.”
The original Blue Note, Jazz Cafe, was opened in New York in 1981, and now has nine sister rooms around the world, including in Tokyo, Shanghai and Milan. A new venue in LA opens this summer.
Mary J Blige acting on Blue Note. Photo: Dervon Dixon
The larger nightlife picture
A 2024 report from the Night Time Industries Association showed that the UK cultural economy was worth £ 33.3 billion at night, lower than £ 37.2 billion in 2019.
The association says that over the past four years, The UK has lost 37% of its clubswhich works out at a rate of about 10 clubs per month.
And last year, the City Hall informed by industry representatives that night rooms were being pushed to the point of the closure due to issues, including strict licensing laws.
In response, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has compiled a dedicated “Nightlife Taskforce”, consisting of 11 independent industry people, to address issues facing the industry.
They will be notified by bodies, including the Met police and transport to London.
In support of the renewed application of Blue Note, the Music Venue Trust said: “Having a new grassroots music place in Westminster is extremely important for a sense of community that brings the venue to his local community, and also the benefits of mental health to attend and enjoy the music and art of grassroots.
“Through our involvement in West End Jazz Limited (Blue Note Jazz Club) we have seen the suggestions for the space containing absolute obligations for the programming of grassroots.”
The next steps on the future of the club must be known in the coming months.
