The Best Blues Music in Manchester
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Looking for the best blues music in Manchester? Check out our top picks for the best places to hear this genre of music in the city.
About Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. The city has a rich heritage in the arts, music, and culture. Manchester is a great place to find live music, especially blues. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best blues music in Manchester.
Manchester’s music history
Few cities can boast such a rich and vibrant music history as Manchester. From the 1960s onwards, the city has been at the forefront of pop and rock music, with bands such as The Hollies, The Bee Gees, The Stone Roses, Oasis and Take That all enjoying huge success.
More recently, Manchester has become known as a hotbed of talent for alternative and indie music, with acts like The 1975, Joy Division, New Order and The Smiths reaching global audiences.
But it’s not just pop and rock music that Manchester has been home to over the years. The city has also produced some of the best blues musicians in the UK, with artists like Cyril Davies, Alexis Korner and Chris Barber all helping to put Manchester on the map as a blues hotspot.
If you’re a fan of blues music, then Manchester is definitely the place to be!
The city’s blues scene
Manchester has a long and proud tradition of producing some of the best blues music in the country. The city’s blues scene dates back to the early 20th century, when Manchester was home to a number of influential blues clubs and venues.
In recent years, the city’s blues scene has undergone something of a revival, with a number of new clubs and venues opening up. Manchester is now home to a vibrant and diverse range of blues clubs and venues, catering to all tastes and styles of blues music.
If you’re a fan of blues music, then Manchester is the place to be. Here are just some of the city’s best blues clubs and venues:
The Blue Cat Club
The Blue Cat Club is one of Manchester’s most popular blues clubs, and has been at the heart of the city’s blues scene for many years. The club regularly hosts live music nights, featuring some of the best local and regional blues bands. The club also has an excellent drinks menu, with a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits on offer.
The Ruby Lounge
The Ruby Lounge is one of Manchester’s most stylish bars, and is also one of the city’s most popular venues for live blues music. The bar regularly hosts live music nights, featuring both local and touring acts. The Ruby Lounge also has an excellent range of cocktails on offer, as well as a comprehensive wine list.
Matt & Phreds Jazz Club
Matt & Phreds Jazz Club is one of Manchester’s most well-known jazz clubs, and has been at the forefront of the city’s jazz scene for many years. The club regularly hosts live music nights, featuring both local and touring acts. Matt & Phreds Jazz Club also has an excellent range of drinks on offer, including an extensive wine list.
The Best Blues Clubs in Manchester
Manchester has a vibrant and thriving blues scene, with clubs and venues dotted around the city. If you’re a fan of the blues, then you’ll definitely want to check out some of these clubs. Here’s a rundown of the best blues clubs in Manchester.
The Blue Cat
The Blue Cat is a well-known landmark in the city of Manchester. The club has been hosting live music since it opened its doors in the early 1990s, and it has been a favorite stomping ground for blues musicians ever since. The club is located in the historic Northern Quarter of the city, and it occupies a large former warehouse space that has been converted into a music venue. The club has two stages, and it is known for its excellent sound system and lighting. The Blue Cat also has a full bar and a kitchen that serves up some of the best comfort food in town.
The Night Owl
The Night Owl is one of Manchester’s most popular blues clubs, and for good reason. The intimate setting and top-notch lineup of local and touring bands make it the perfect place to catch a show any night of the week. The drinks are reasonably priced, and the dance floor is always packed with people ready to boogie the night away.
The Jazz Cafe
The Jazz Cafe is one of Manchester’s most popular blues clubs. The club has a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, and the music is always top-notch. The Jazz Cafe features a variety of local and national blues acts, and the club also hosts regular jam sessions. If you’re looking for a great place to hear some blues music, the Jazz Cafe is definitely worth checking out.
The Best Blues Musicians in Manchester
Manchester has always been a hotbed for blues music. The city has produced some of the genre’s greatest musicians. If you’re looking for the best blues music in Manchester, you have to check out these artists.
John Mayall
John Mayall is a British blues musician, composer, and record producer. He has been influential in the careers of many blues and rock musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Greg Allman. Mayall’s musical career spans over fifty years. In the 1960s, he founded the Bluesbreakers band with some of the most famous names in blues and rock music.
Mayall was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1933. His father Murray Mayall was a professional saxophonist who encouraged young John to learn piano. When John was sixteen he bought his first guitar and started playing in local bands. He soon became influenced by the sounds of American blues musicians such as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. In 1963, Mayall formed the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton on guitar and Jack Bruce on bass. The band played a key role in the British blues boom of the 1960s helping to launch the careers of many famous musicians.
Mayall has released over thirty studio albums as well as live recordings and compilations. He continues to tour and perform today with a new generation of blues musicians. Mayall was awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to music and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2008.
Cyril Davies
Cyril Davies was a British blues musician, born in London to Welsh parents. He is best known as the harmonica player in the original lineup of The Rolling Stones. He also played with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, and was a session musician on many recordings, including those of The Beatles and The Kinks. In his short life, he was a major influential figure in the British blues scene.
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as “a founding father of British blues”. A major influence on the sound of the British music scene in the 1960s, Korner was instrumental in the formation of several notable British bands including Free, Blues Incorporated, Graham Bond Organisation, and Savoy Brown. He also promoted up-and-coming British blues artists through his annual Blues Nights concerts and radio show on BBC Radio London.
Korner was born in Paris to an English father and a Swiss mother. He grew up in England and began playing piano at an early age. His parents separated when he was 14 and he subsequently went to live with his mother in Switzerland. After completing his schooling, he returned to England and started playing guitar.
In the early 1950s, Korner established himself as a leading figure in the emerging London blues scene. His band, Blues Incorporated, became a breeding ground for aspiring young musicians including Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Cyril Davies, Long John Baldry, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jack Bruce, and Alexis’ own sonSNapoleon Solo ( Stefan Korner).
Korner’s passion for blues music led him to start broadcasting regular radio programmes dedicated to the genre. His shows on BBC Radio London were hugely popular and helped to raise the profile of many lesser-known blues artists.
In addition to his work as a musician and broadcaster, Korner was also active in campaigning for racial equality and social justice. He was a vocal opponent of apartheid in South Africa and an active supporter of the civil rights movement in the United States.
Korner died of a heart attack in 1984 at the age of 54. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
