An era in Irish music will come to an end in the coming weeks when Dublin venue J.J. Smyths hosts its final gigs after thirty years as Ireland's longest-running venue for jazz and blues gigs.
The intimate Aungier Street room was a spiritual home for the likes of late jazz guitarist Louis Stewart, Noel Kelehan’s Ozone quintet, Richie Buckley and acclaimed Steely Dan tribute act Aja.
Following the recent sale of the venue, it will host its final shows in the run-up to Christmas and the venue space will be used for other events in the new year.
JJs (as it is popularly known) first opened its doors as a music venue in 1986 in an upstairs room, which had previously been used as s lesbian disco and a weekly darts club. The building originally opened as a family-owned grocery and public house in the 1730s and was the birthplace of the famous Irish poet and playwright Thomas Moore in 1779.
Niiiiice: Aja in action at J.J. Smyths
Blues guitarist Nigel Mooney was the first act to play JJs with his band The Gripewater Blues Band, following the sudden closure of the city’s Tommy Dunne’s Parliament Inn.
JJs went on to become a Dublin city centre mecca for blues and jazz acts with an international reputation as Ireland’s only jazz club.
There has been some confusion over the future of the venue following its sale to a new owner and rumours that it would close with immediate effect. However, J.J.s will continue to hold gigs in the coming weeks - including shows by Mooney and Aja.
Guitarist Greg Boland of Aja, who play JJs on Wednesday, November 16 and Wednesday, November 23, said: “The band would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to our JJs gigs and to the many who supported the band soooo often over the past 8 and a half years!!
“JJs has been something of a spiritual home for the band and we have had many great and happy nights there, it was like a family reunion every time we played there. Hopefully we will be able to find an alternative venue in the city that will work for us and you.”
This Friday, November 18, will see The Nigel Mooney Organ Trio play their last gig in the popular venue in a night billed as From Gripewater to Organ Failure. On the night, Mooney will reunite with tenor saxophonist Jean Toussaint, who played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers from 1982 to 1986.
Alan Corr @corralan
