If you're ever in Stockholm with an afternoon or an evening to fill, check out Stampen,
the famous Jazz and blues club in old town. It's not a large club, but
it has two stages, one upstairs and one in the basement. On a recent Friday night I
saw two bands: Jump4Joy, a five piece rock and swing band and upstairs
Hot Pretzels a ten-piece (!) rockin' 60's R&B style band. For a
cover charge of 120 Kr (around $17) both bands captured the spirit and
energy of early American rock 'n' roll and turned up the heat to sauna
levels. It's kind of interesting to see these Swedish bands play tribute to American roots music. Think of it as the Scandinavian Commitments and you won't be far wrong. Stampen also has great beers on tap starting at 49 Kr ($7) including local Abro, Beamish Irish Stout, Newcastle Brown and John
Smith Ale.
Most Saturday afternoons at Stampen feature a live Blues Jam sessions led by American slide guitar virtuoso Brian Kramer. It's a friendly hangout with a mix of regulars, wanna-be blues players and visiting Americans. Kramer changes out the musicians every few songs, depending on who's waiting in the wings. If you're able to fake your through a 12 bar blues or play a decent
harmonica, just park yourself near the stage and wait for Kramer to
give you the signal. I saw some great guitar playing from regulars including what looked like a 50 year-old graying Swedish dentist and a smokin' 17 year-old Asian kid playing a Fender Stratocaster. Since this was the start of mid-summer, they also featured a complimentary barbecue with chicken wings and hot dogs. As the afternoon wore on, the blues became hotter and the music more electrified.
Stampen is easy to find. It's about a 10 minute walk from Central Station to old town (Gamla Stan subway) or if you're not familiar with the city, just ask any cab driver.
Hello!
I'm really glad you enjoyed our music! It's always comforting to hear some encouraging words from someone from the heartland of the music that we play.
With best regards,
Tomas Blom, Hot Pretzels (I'm the one impersonating Steve Cropper...)
Posted by: Tomas Blom | August 29, 2005 at 07:53 AM