What did Ken Colyer blue plaque do at 12 Great Newport Street?

The Story

Down in the basement of 12 Great Newport Street, Ken Colyer helped keep traditional New Orleans jazz alive in London through more than two decades of passionate performances at Studio 51. From 1950 to 1973, this underground venue became Colyer's musical home, where his trumpet led countless sessions that captured the authentic spirit of New Orleans jazz for eager London audiences. The intimate basement space allowed Colyer to recreate the raw, unpolished energy he had absorbed while playing with musicians in New Orleans itself, making Studio 51 a vital hub for the British traditional jazz revival movement. These basement sessions proved so influential that they helped launch several notable bands, including the early lineup of what would become the Chris Barber Jazz Band, making this address a crucial incubator for British jazz in the post-war era.