Marie huffed and scowled as I wolfed down my dinner and slammed back a couple of pre-game whiskeys. We scuttled down the wet cobbles to the nearby Clef de Voûte. We had almost been there once before, but the queue was so long, and there was some doubt about the availability of booze, so we had bailed out.
Having established that there were refreshments to be had, we were determined to be there in good time and at the head of the queue this time.
Emerging into Place Chardonnet, we were confronted by a large group of people outside the door. Luckily they turned out to be waiting to go into the theatre next door. We were the first at the Clef de Voûte. And it wasn't open yet.
After a quick beer in a nearby bar, we returned and were first in.
As the name suggest, the club is in a vaulted basement. The main room has a small stage, and seating in rows for about 60 people. There is a bar in a side room -- pretty spacious as underground jazz clubs go -- with four bottled beers and six or so wines by the glass. The loos (at least the mens') are pretty good: you should be able to bring your mother here.
I'm not reviewing the band, but have got to mention them, as they were fantastic. It was the R Cuoq-A.Jambon quartet (sax, guitar, drums, contrebasse) with guest soprano saxophonist Emile Parisien. They were all great, but Parisien and drummer Nicolas Charlier in particular were astounding. Parisien writhed like a possesed snake-charmer as a cascade of incredibly fluid and inventive melodies flowed from his sax. On the first number I feared that the drummer was an over-player, but it soon became obvious that he was just bursting with Keith Moon-like energy and enthusiasm which he put to fantastic use in the rest of the set.
Having established that there were refreshments to be had, we were determined to be there in good time and at the head of the queue this time.
Emerging into Place Chardonnet, we were confronted by a large group of people outside the door. Luckily they turned out to be waiting to go into the theatre next door. We were the first at the Clef de Voûte. And it wasn't open yet.
After a quick beer in a nearby bar, we returned and were first in.
As the name suggest, the club is in a vaulted basement. The main room has a small stage, and seating in rows for about 60 people. There is a bar in a side room -- pretty spacious as underground jazz clubs go -- with four bottled beers and six or so wines by the glass. The loos (at least the mens') are pretty good: you should be able to bring your mother here.
I'm not reviewing the band, but have got to mention them, as they were fantastic. It was the R Cuoq-A.Jambon quartet (sax, guitar, drums, contrebasse) with guest soprano saxophonist Emile Parisien. They were all great, but Parisien and drummer Nicolas Charlier in particular were astounding. Parisien writhed like a possesed snake-charmer as a cascade of incredibly fluid and inventive melodies flowed from his sax. On the first number I feared that the drummer was an over-player, but it soon became obvious that he was just bursting with Keith Moon-like energy and enthusiasm which he put to fantastic use in the rest of the set.
The clientele was the usual jazz club smörgåsbord: young, funky afro-ed dudes to ageing hep-cat fedora-decked finger-clickers, with a majority of perfectly unremarkable people in the middle.
Great night, good value, brilliant music.
Service: 5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Toilets: 4/5
La Clef de Voûte, 1 Place Chardonnet, Lyon (google map)
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