“Yesterday we experienced something hard to explain.” The legendary Café Central has permanently moved from Plaza del Ángel to 10 Santa Catalina Street, and that is how the post began, thanking the thousands of people who attended the free musical parade dubbed the ” Funeral and Resurrection of Jazz,” which brought New Orleans to Madrid at every turn.
A symbolic celebration of its “move,” in which dozens of musicians transformed the heart of the capital into a massive live jazz concert that marched from its old location to the new one. “Café Central is saying goodbye to a space, but not to what it represents. From now on, Café Central’s programming continues at the Ateneo de Madrid. We look forward to seeing you all in this new chapter,” they stated on their social media.
The start of a new era whose lineup was announced quickly, and we already know it will feature names like Guillermo McGill, Yuley Díaz, and Patxi Pascual this very month.
The first concerts at Café Central at the Ateneo this April
On the very day of the parade, the new home of jazz made its debut with a performance by saxophonist Miguel Malla Ft. Racalmuto. This inauguration of Café Central Ateneo kicks off a month in which performances are scheduled practically every day at the Club Café Central Ateneo, with two shows per night: one at 8 p.m. and another at 10 p.m.
- April 17 and 18: Guillermo McGill Experience
- April 19: Dany Noel Trio
- April 20 and 21: Patxi Pascual Quintet
- April 22 and 23: Cuban Jazz Quintet – The Cubintage
- April 24 and 25: Yuley Díaz Quartet
- April 26: Jazz On Five
- April 27: Leo Minax Quartet
- April 29 and 30: Astrid Jones & The Blue Flaps
More jazz programming throughout the year in Madrid
In addition to its April concerts, Café Central has also announced upcoming performances in May at the Ateneo’s Cátedra: May 8 (Cecilia Krull Quintet at 7:30 p.m. and Lluís Coloma & His Musical Troupe at 9:30 p.m.) and May 22 (Sheila Blanco & Federico Lechner Tango Jazz Trio at 7:30 p.m. and Ulf Wakenius & Ignasi Terraza at 9:30 p.m.).
But as Café Central states in a post, “Jazz, more than a genre, is a feeling we share.” And Madrid proves it. Not only with events like The Jazz Room, but also with a wide variety of venues where you can listen to live jazz, such as Recoletos Jazz Madrid or the Nuevo Café Berlín.
It looks like Madrid will have jazz and Café Central (Ateneo) for a while yet, and thank goodness for that.