It seems only yesterday that Jamboree 3 was opened in style in Barcelona’s Plaça Reial, with a concert by pianist Ignasi Terraza and an exhibition of concert photographs. But time flies when we are enjoying amazing entertainment and it has now been more than a month since this former herbal remedy shop, converted into a lively cultural venue, began reinventing the scene in our city with a weekly programme that includes dance, cabaret, stand-up comedy, exotic cocktails and, of course, the best in live music.
These days it is a real business and artistic challenge to consolidate a small-format cultural venue in a city as cosmopolitan as Barcelona because we are constantly bombarded with interesting options from all sides. Some pandemic-related restrictions are still in place, especially in terms of scheduling. However, the Jamboree 3 schedule has been carefully prepared as an alternative designed for all spectators who want to enjoy original experiences in a legendary basement venue.
This November, we will be able to enjoy two top-notch concerts. On Wednesday 2/11 it will be the turn of the Emmet Cohen Trio, a unique opportunity to see this young American pianist who has become one of the leading jazz figures of his generation. The prestigious Downbeat magazine praised the “nimble touch, measured pace and warm harmonic vocabulary” he uses to communicate with musicians and audiences. His talents have led him to accompany figures such as Ron Carter, Benny Golson and Jimmy Cobb. And, on Friday 5/11, we can enjoy an explosive concert by Nevo Angel, a versatile artist from Madrid who mixes pop and rock with the urban music of today.
As for its regular programme, the Jamboree 3 week begins every Tuesday at 7pm with Jam Flamenco Fusion, a slot where the most orthodox flamenco is promiscuously mixed with other styles by Frederico Vannini (flamenco and electric guitar), Josep Cordobés (drums) and Sergio Di Finizio (electric bass) to create an utterly amazing experience for the ears, eyes and all the senses. It is a journey based on fusion that reinvents the concept of jam sessions and it goes on until midnight at this venue designed for such experiments.
For decades, Barcelona has been one of the leading cities for cabaret shows in Spain, and the Jamboree 3 has decided to make a commitment to this historic format every Thursday thanks to close cooperation of La Bámbola Cabaret company. The curtain goes up promptly at 10.30 pm on a surprising, funny, sensual but innocent show starring Mei, Lorena Giner, Jose Bailon, Horacio Ladrón de Guevara (Brigitte), Adriano Torregiani, Marta Aguayo (Nona) and Malcolm McCarthy. An unpredictable slot where the only thing that matters is enjoying the moment.
Jamboree 3 weekends begin every Friday night with the Massa Comedy show – a little oasis of humour in the heart of the big city allowing room for stand-up comedy in Catalan, Spanish and English. This November, iconic names like Yunez Chaib (4/11), Abi + Raquel + Irene (11/11), Jorge Yorya with his show “Casi todo es nuevo” (18/11), Paula Púa with her show “Traca” (25/11) and Sergio Bezos with the show “Ha llegado a tu ciudad” (Saturday 26/11) will all step up to the mic. Stay tuned because some months there will be an evening dedicated to discovering new talents in the world of humour.
And to end a frenetic week, what better than making Jamboree 3 a mecca for musical improvisation every Sunday night? Taking traditional jam sessions as a starting point, The Jammin’ Cat nights become the perfect place for sharing live music and dancing like there’s no tomorrow, as well as meeting artists from all over the world close up and personal. As they say in their presentation: “Bring an instrument and your dancing shoes, get up on stage and shine!”
