The Old Duke
Encyclopedia
The Old Duke is a jazz
and blues
venue and pub
situated on King Street, Bristol
, England
. Live music is played every night of the week, admission is free and it hosts an annual Jazz Festival. The pub's name is a reference to the classic American jazz musician Duke Ellington
, though the pub has actually held the same (or similar) name for centuries, and most likely previously referred to The Duke of Wellington.
The pub dates from about 1780 and is a grade II listed building.
The pub's heritage lies with traditional, New Orleans inspired jazz. Bands include the Severn Jazzmen, who have been playing at the venue for over 35 years, Keith Little's Hot Six, Cass Caswell's Allstars, Pete Martin's Jazz Kings, The University of Bristol Traditional Jazz Band, and many touring bands from around the world.
The resident blues musician Eddie Martin, who boasts numerous international awards, plays every Sunday night. The Duke also plays host to modern jazz bands including Andy Hague, Dave Betts
, Code Red and The Cut Collective. Artists such as Peter Roe and Beth Rowley
began their careers at the venue and still perform there regularly.
In 2009, The Old Duke was named by the Brecon Jazz Festival
as one of 12 venues which had made the most important contributions to jazz music in the United Kingdom.
The Old Duke is located opposite the Llandoger Trow
, another notable Bristol pub.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
venue and pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
situated on King Street, Bristol
King Street, Bristol
King Street is a 17th century street in the historic city centre of Bristol, England.The street lies just south of the old town wall and was laid out in 1650 in order to develop the Town Marsh, the area then lying between the south or Marsh Wall and the Avon...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Live music is played every night of the week, admission is free and it hosts an annual Jazz Festival. The pub's name is a reference to the classic American jazz musician Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, though the pub has actually held the same (or similar) name for centuries, and most likely previously referred to The Duke of Wellington.
The pub dates from about 1780 and is a grade II listed building.
The pub's heritage lies with traditional, New Orleans inspired jazz. Bands include the Severn Jazzmen, who have been playing at the venue for over 35 years, Keith Little's Hot Six, Cass Caswell's Allstars, Pete Martin's Jazz Kings, The University of Bristol Traditional Jazz Band, and many touring bands from around the world.
The resident blues musician Eddie Martin, who boasts numerous international awards, plays every Sunday night. The Duke also plays host to modern jazz bands including Andy Hague, Dave Betts
Dave Betts
Dave Betts is a Canadian rock drummer, best known as the drummer for Canadian rock band Honeymoon Suite....
, Code Red and The Cut Collective. Artists such as Peter Roe and Beth Rowley
Beth Rowley
-Background:Rowley was born to British parents who moved back to Bristol, England from Peru when Rowley was two years old.-Early career:She was influenced by her family's love for many different musical styles, particularly blues, country, folk, gospel and Latin American music. When aged 16, Rowley...
began their careers at the venue and still perform there regularly.
In 2009, The Old Duke was named by the Brecon Jazz Festival
Brecon Jazz Festival
Brecon Jazz Festival is a music festival held on an annual basis in the rural surroundings of Brecon, in south Powys, Mid Wales. Normally staged in early August, it plays host to a range of jazz musicians who travel from across the world to take part and to many visiting tourists who are attracted...
as one of 12 venues which had made the most important contributions to jazz music in the United Kingdom.
The Old Duke is located opposite the Llandoger Trow
Llandoger Trow
The Llandoger Trow is a historic public house in Bristol, south west England. Dating from 1664, it is in King Street, between Welsh Back and Queen Charlotte Street, near the old city centre docks. A trow was a flat-bottomed barge, and Llandogo is a village north-west of Bristol, across the Severn...
, another notable Bristol pub.