Capacity: 100.
Who plays there: The Vortex offers perhaps the most diverse lineup of any London jazz club, ranging from traditional, contemporary and commercial jazz acts to rock crossovers and the outer reaches of the avant-garde. There are also evenings of poetry and spoken word, as well as the occasional folk act. Notable names to have played include Kenny Wheeler, Keith Tippett, Stan Tracey, Norma Winstone, Paloma Faith, Jah Wobble, Martin Carthy, Portico Quartet and Polar Bear. Evan Parker has a monthly residency and Penny Rimbaud runs a quarterly night of music and poetry.
Cloakroom: No.
Admission: £8-£14 for most events. Occasionally a little more.
Bar: The venue itself has a fairly limited bottle bar, but offers some well chosen ales and a couple of decent lagers, as well as wine and soft drinks. There is beer on tap in the downstairs bar and a wider range of drinks.
Food: Food is served downstairs in the evenings and during the day. You can get reasonably priced and decent quality pasta dishes, salads, burgers and sharing dishes. There’s a 10% discount if you have a ticket for a show.
Toilet: Unisex cubicles.
Wheelchair access: Yes – there’s lift access to the venue on the first floor via the adjoining HCD building, and a disabled access toilet on the ground floor. Contact the venue when booking your ticket and staff will offer assistance.
Sound: The glass front and corrugated steel roof don’t look promising, but the sound is generally pretty good. As with many small venues, where you sit can count for a lot in terms of what you’ll hear. Getting too close to the front can be problematic as you might find yourself directly in front of a horn player, or even a drum kit. If you have the option, sitting or standing somewhere in the middle of the room is your best bet.
Where to stand or sit: Most nights are seated and if you book in advance you’ll be pointed to a table with your name on it. If the night is not sold out this may be negotiable, but it’s largely luck of the draw. You will get a decent view from anywhere in the room at seated shows but sound, while mostly decent, can be variable (see above). Though the stage is fairly low, it’s such a small space that even at standing shows most people will get a passable view.
Overall: The Vortex jazz club is small, simple, unpretentious and mostly run by volunteers. It’s a venue run to very tight financial margins, where at times they appear to be operating on the edge, and fundraising is essential. That generates a sense of community spirit, which is an important part of the vibe, as the volunteers make it a welcoming and inclusive place to visit. It’s the ideal environment for the music purist but it’s not intimidating for those who simply want to investigate. Just make sure you do your homework on what you’re going to see, as the rich variance in styles can occasionally catch people out. That said, if you go with an open mind, pretty much any night of the week you will find musicianship of the highest order, for a very reasonable price.
Address: 11 Gillett Square, London, N16 8AZ.
Telephone: 020-7923 9532.
Website: vortexjazz.co.uk
Public Transport: Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction, on the London Overground, are both within a couple of minutes’ walk. Buses 30, 38, 67, 76, 149, 236, 242, 243 and 488 stop nearby.
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