The brainchild of pianist and music producer Nigel Linden and Lost Society bar manager Brian Kennedy, a brand new night of weekly music and revelry was launched on July 21 in the plush surroundings of the Lost Society bar in the Georgian-style Powerscourt Townhouse Centre on South William Street, Dublin.

Hot Press caught up with Linden the morning after Jam Pot’s official debut to get the lowdown on the previous night’s events.
“I’ve been working as a music producer for the last five years and I’ve recently set up a new studio called Jam Pot Studios above Rush Bar,” he explains. “I can bring a lot of people who come to Jam Pot Studios down here and let them show what they’ve got. I’ve kept this night in theme with that, by calling it Jam Pot too. All the cocktails are served in old school jam jars and all the girls wear Gingham aprons. It’s all very quirky.”

The launch night saw an eclectic bunch of musicians including DJ Sophie De Vere, guitarist Drazen Derrick and Linden himself dazzling the audience with a mix of musical styles from jazz and cabaret to deep house and techno.
“It was epic to see such an eclectic array of musicians from totally different music backgrounds coming together and jamming. Nobody else is doing anything like it in Dublin,” said Linden.
“All the musicians are pretty much world class. I’m going to leave it open for people to send demos in to [email protected]. The people that we’d most like are brass players and percussionists because they really work well with what we’re doing.”

There’s an interesting twist to the performances. The audience has the opportunity to decide how long each performer gets to jam on stage, so the pressure is on for them to be on their game. The best jammers over the year will also get the chance to be featured on a compilation CD that will be recorded at Jam Pot Studios.
In addition to the music, a range of quirky cocktails from Little Miss Sunshine and Jackpot Juice are served by hostesses in ‘50s style vintage garments. Images of previous Thursday nights will also be projected onto the walls, adding to the ambience.
Upcoming Thursday’s at Jam Pot will also see the likes of Bulgarian DJ Emil Damyanov and percussionist Brian Fallon strut their stuff. Bring it on!