Aberdeen jazz promoter "Jazz at the Blue Lamp" announces a name change

The jazz promotion known for two decades as Jazz at the Blue Lamp has changed its name to Jazz in the Granite City, following a move to a new home in Aberdeen. The rebrand comes months after the group left the Blue Lamp, the venue that closed at the end of 2025, and it keeps one of Scotland's longest-running jazz promotions going under a different banner.

The same team of volunteers who ran Jazz at the Blue Lamp now programs shows at the Rusty Nail on Rosemount Viaduct, where the group settled in January 2026. For nearly twenty years, the Blue Lamp hosted regular Thursday night concerts featuring national and international jazz musicians, along with Sunday afternoon sessions that introduced younger players to live audiences, building what UK Jazz News described as a loyal following and an international reputation among musicians.

Jazz in the Granite City has already booked its first three autumn concerts under the new name. American saxophonist Chris Cheek opens the season on September 17 with an organ trio featuring Arno Krijger and Florian Arbenz, followed by shows from Scottish singer Marianne McGregor and Edinburgh act Orange Claw Hammer.

The new name also opens the door to booking shows outside the Rusty Nail, in the way Encore Aberdeen once hosted concerts during Aberdeen Jazz Festival, giving the rebranded promotion more flexibility than its old, venue-tied name allowed.

Full details of the autumn programme are expected soon through the group's new website, with the release calendar tracking new jazz activity from Aberdeen and beyond as it's announced.