Copenhagen's prime jazz club especially during the 1960's and 1970's. Commonly referred to as just "Montmartre" the official name of the venue have changed back and forth from Cafe Montmartre to Jazzhus Montmartre, the latter proven to be the more durable. On releases both names appears used regardless of the official name used at the time of recording. Along with several changes in ownership it also changed location in 1976.
Montmartre (193?-1959): As early as in the 30's a dance restaurant resided in Store Regnegade 19 in central Copenhagen. The 10-piece house band counted several major Danish jazz pioneers. In the 50's two separate jazz clubs, "Blue Note" and "Club Montmartre", rented Montmartre for club nights.
Café Montmartre I (1959-1960): In 1959 - as the New Orleans jazz revival had become very popular - the leader of "Club Montmartre", architect Anders Dyrup, bought the restaurant, redesigned it, and opened a club. Among the house band leaders in 1959 was Jan Johansson. After Stan Getz returned to the US in January 1960 the club was announced closed for renovation but didn't reopen. Dyrup was unable to finance a reopening.
Café Montmartre II (1961-1962): In 1961 the café was taken over by jazz club waiter Herluf Kamp-Larsen and US jazz pianist Harold Goldberg. Musical disagreements soon led Kamp-Larsen to buy out Goldberg, leading to the venues most legendary era.
Jazzhus Montmartre I (1963-1974): Under Kamp-Larsens leadership, Jazzhus Montmartre - the official name as of March 1963 - became one of the leading jazz venues in Europe, a watering hole for both bop and swing-revival US jazz artists like SteepleChase label. After years of financial struggle, Kamp-Larsen filed for bankruptcy. The last artist to headline in the classic era was Dexter Gordon who more than anyone had starred there during these years.
Café Montmartre III (1975-1976): While for sale, Montmartre, renamed Café Montmartre, was run by the jazz musicians association for on an interim basis. Financially weak, the place during those years never reached the artistical level of the previous era, and by February 1976 the venue in Store Regnegade finally closed.
Jazzhus Montmartre II (1976-1995) In September 1976 jazz entrepreneur Kay "JazzKay" Sørensen opened a new scene of the same name in Nørrregade in Copenhagen in hope to carry on the legacy previously established. To some extend, he succeeded but gradually during the 1980's other genres and DJ's began to fill up the program. In 1993, singer Anne Linnet bought Montmartre, but the decline was evident and in 1995 the Nørregade Jazzhus Montmartre was sold to become a discotheque.
Jazzhus Montmartre III (2010-) In 2010, the original scene in Store Regnegade under the artistical leadership of jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky re-opened as a dinner-jazz venue, mainly focusing on Danish and Scandinavian artists - and high-end gastronomy.
