By Sura Z.

Of all the cities I have stayed in, I would say that Paris has the best jazz scene. This semester, I have taken full advantage of what Paris has to offer and have deepened my involvement in jazz.

I sing and play the piano for Amherst’s jazz combo and big band, and I have taken various courses on jazz. This constant engagement with a musical tradition that has such deep historical roots attracts me profoundly. I especially enjoy the creativity and freedom of jazz. While I love live performances, I did not get to attend many jazz concerts outside of school before coming to Paris. However, even before arriving, I knew that I wanted to explore the jazz scene here in depth.

At first, it was a little difficult to find the bars I liked. My first jazz experience in Paris was at Melville, a jazz bar and restaurant. It was a more upscale venue with a strong focus on dining, which was not exactly what I was looking for. I then did some online research and found a Parisian jazz calendar [link here] that lists major jazz concerts every night. I also asked a former HIF and Amherst student for recommendations. That said, I honestly think the best way to find good jazz bars is simply to explore in person.

After orientation ended, I began my quest for great jazz bars in Paris. On a typical evening, after dinner with my host family, I would check the jazz calendar and choose one or sometimes several concerts that looked interesting. Because these decisions were often last minute, I sometimes went “jazz hunting” on my own. Thanks to the Parisian metro system, it was easy to get to and from these venues.

For me, jazz bars have been a wonderful way to meet people and improve my French. I enjoyed talking with other audience members, bartenders, and even the musicians themselves. For example, I saw one of my favorite saxophonists, Baptiste Herbin, perform at 38Riv, a small and cozy jazz bar in the 4th arrondissement with fantastic acoustics. After the concert, I introduced myself and spoke with him and other musicians about jazz. They were incredibly approachable. Since many of these jazz bars, especially those near Châtelet, attract anglophone tourists, people were often pleasantly surprised to hear me speaking French. I also met several people around my age at these concerts, and we stayed in touch, inviting each other to different music events around Paris.

After attending 20 to 30 concerts, here are a few jazz bars that I keep returning to:

  • Duc des Lombards in the 1st arrondissement has excellent sound and lighting, and consistently outstanding musicians.
  • 38Riv in the 4th arrondissement offers great acoustics in an intimate setting.
  • Sunset and Sunside in the 1st arrondissement feature two performance spaces, one upstairs and one downstairs.
  • Baiser Salé in the 1st arrondissement has a fantastic Monday night jam session.
  • Caveau de la Huchette is perfect if you want to dance while listening to classic swing, and on weekdays it tends to attract more locals.

In addition to these jazz evenings, I was very fortunate to take jazz vocal lessons at ARPEJ in the 10th arrondissement, thanks to Celeste and HIF, who helped me find this jazz school. ARPEJ is a vibrant space dedicated to jazz music, with extremely talented instructors. I take a one hour vocal lesson with Pamina every Wednesday. She gives me constructive feedback, and I have improved my improvisation skills while developing my own style. Beyond regular lessons, ARPEJ also hosts weekly jazz history classes, monthly jam sessions, and other activities, all shared through their monthly newsletter.

At the beginning of the semester, I also sat in on some combo rehearsals and met other musicians. If I had more time, I would have participated more regularly. Learning jazz in French has been a fascinating experience. Thanks to my background knowledge, I could understand most of the material, and my teacher would also explain concepts in English when needed. Outside of lessons, I made time to practice on my own, with a particular focus on improvisation.

I feel incredibly lucky to have become so deeply involved with jazz this semester in Paris. Not only did I take classes that helped me systematically improve my singing, but I also drew constant inspiration from the many concerts I attended. Jazz became an integral part of my Parisian life, and I am very grateful to HIF for the opportunity to take jazz vocal lessons here.