Jazzhus Montmartre

Jazzhus Montmartre is a leading jazz club in Copenhagen, Denmark that is described as "legendary". Many jazz musicians, including Dexter Gordon,Stan Getz, and Chet Baker, have performed there. It is sometimes also called Cafe Montmartre. The Montmartre was located first in Dahlerupsgade, then from 1961 on in Store Regnegade and finally since 1976 in Nørregade 41 before closing down in 1995. Since 1 May 2010 it has been re-opened in Store Regnegade 19A by media executive and entrepreneur Rune Bech together with jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky, who was later replaced as Music Director by saxophonist Benjamin Koppel, and then jazz publisher Christian Brorsen. It is considered to be one of Europe's major jazz clubs for live world-class jazz, and was voted "Best Nightclub for Over-60s" by readers of the Danish local newspaper Politken in 2012.

It was opened in 1959 by Anders Dyrup with a two-week stint by George Lewis. In the beginning the program was dominated by Dixieland jazz (then very popular in Denmark). Shortly afterwards Stan Getz, who lived from 1958 to 1961 with his Swedish wife in Copenhagen, played regularly in the Club. He was followed by other expatriate American jazz musicians, including Dexter Gordon (who lived from 1962 to 1976 in Copenhagen) and Ben Webster (from 1964 on in Copenhagen and Amsterdam).

On New Year's Eve 1961 the Club Jazzhus Montmartre reopened under the lead of Herluf Kamp-Larsen in new premises in Store Regnegade. The Montmartre developed into one of the main locations for jazz in Europe, for long years with Kenny Drew (p), Alex Riel (dr) and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen as regular rhythm group, who accompanied guest musicians. From 1976 on it was at Nørregade 41 with Kay Sørensen (1938–1988) as owner, while Niels Christensen served as music manager, assisted from 1982 by Lars Thorborg.

From 1976 to 1989 Montmartre established itself as one of the strongest jazz venues in Europe. Besides jazz stars like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Nancy Wilson, Betty Carter, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Brecker Brothers and many more, Montmartre also presented world music artists like Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Tania Maria, Youssou N'Dour and King Sunny Adé, as wells as funk/soul artists like James Brown, Tower of Power and Gil Scott-Heron. Local pop and rock artists also saw Montmartre as their homeground, as well as the very popular Natdiskotek (night disco), that attracted youth from all over greater Copenhagen every weekend, and also provided the economic foundations for the club's strong jazz profile.

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