Jazz, Blues & Latin American in Amsterdam

Jazz is popular in Amsterdam and there's a lot happening in cafes around town; blues thrives less. The world's largest jazz festival is the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague in July, and throughout that month many international greats take the opportunity to take to the stage in Amsterdam too.

Bimhuis
(tel 623 33 73, Oude Schans 73-77).
Amsterdam's main jazz venue attracts Dutch and international jazz greats like Bob Berg, Steve Solo and Kenny Wheeler. It has an excellent auditorium and a pretty spiffy bar. Bimhuis will move to a new location in the Eastern Docklands (west of the ship-passenger terminal) in 2003.

Bourbon Street Jazz & Blues Club
(tel 623 34 40, Leidsekruisstraat 6-8).
Catch blues, funk and rock and roll performances here. There are weekly jam sessions and unplugged nights too.

Brasil Music Bar
(tel 626 15 00, Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 70).
Get jiggy at this popular little club; there's live Brazilian and Caribbean music weeknights and R&B and two-step DJs on weekends.

Casablanca
(tel 625 56 85, Zeedijk 26).
This jazz cafe has an illustrious history but its glory days are definitely over. There's still live jazz (Sunday to Thursday) and big-band performances (Monday and Wednesday) but it's mainly a karaoke bar, albeit a fun one.

Cotton Club
(tel 626 61 92, Nieuwmarkt 5).
Squish into this dark, bustling brown cafe every Saturday (4pm) for live, vibrant jazz.

Heeren van Aemstel
(tel 620 21 73, Thorbeckeplein 5).
Office workers and students cram this grand-cafe-style club to enjoy the rather bland roster of live big bands and pop and rock covers bands.

Jazz Cafe Alto
(tel 626 32 49, Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115).
A slightly older crowd of jazz lovers toe-taps to serious jazz and blues at this small brown cafe; try to catch tenor saxophonist Hans Dulfer.

Maloe Melo
(tel 420 45 92, Lijnbaansgracht 163).
This small, smoky venue is home to the city's blues scene with local and international musos playing everything from Cajun zydeco and swing to Texas blues and rockabilly.

Meander
(tel 625 84 30, Voetboogstraat 5).
Get all snake-hipped at the ever-popular Sunday salsa night, or visit this multilevel club on other nights for DJs spinning funk, garage, soul and jazzy beats.