New café owners jazz up Bank Street space that once hosted ex-Beatle, other music legends

A new jazz café has opened on Bank Street in the former location of the historic Café Le Hibou. Erica Wong co-owns Jazz at 248 with her husband Alvin Ang. The jazz cafe, located at 248 Bank St., is the “ultimate jazz jamming café,” according to Wong.  She said Jazz at 248 is a space […]

A new jazz café has opened on Bank Street in the former location of the historic Café Le Hibou. Erica Wong co-owns Jazz at 248 with her husband Alvin Ang. The jazz cafe, located at 248 Bank St., is the “ultimate jazz jamming café,” according to Wong.  She said Jazz at 248 is a space where musicians can play to their heart’s content while listeners can drop by to enjoy live jazz music, six nights a week.  “We target musicians, not only professionals but ‘normal people’ who play and learn but need a live platform to practise,” Wong said. “When you have a jamming session, everything is organic. It changes at that very second. We want listeners to enjoy live jazz music over simple drinks.”

As trained musicians, Wong and Ang met in a similar jamming café in Singapore. Wong said the jamming community is much different in Asia than in North America.  “When we visit other places, like Japan, the jamming community is very large and active. It runs every day and it runs through the night. It’s a networking platform,” she said.  Through their participation in these jam sessions, Wong and Ang were able to make a living playing gigs in Asia.  So when they moved to Ottawa, the lack of a similar community made them want to build it themselves, Wong explained. “We couldn’t find a place that’s dedicated to jazz music. We didn’t have a community, so we said, ‘Why don’t we create our own community?’ So we created a platform where we can meet other passionate people,” she said of the project.  While Wong still has a day job as a private piano teacher, Ang has dedicated himself to Jazz at 248 full-time. Both Wong and Ang were attracted to the vibrancy of the downtown core and started eyeing the location at 248 Bank St. At one point during the renovations, the owners ran into a few setbacks and were at a financial crossroads. Wong said two things made them want to keep pushing forward – Ang’s dream to open his own jamming establishment and their desire to continue the legacy of the location as a bastion for music.  “We didn’t know until someone posted a picture of (our business) on Reddit and someone commented (that) it was nostalgic because it was a music place before, so we started to search deeper,” Wong said.  In the 1960s, 248 Bank St.’s second-floor space was home to Le Hibou, a world-renowned coffee house for those who wanted to showcase their musical or poetic talents but couldn’t get into the usual haunts around town.  The venue would eventually move to Sussex Street, where it would close in 1975, but over its 15-year history many well-known artists passed through, including George Harrison, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Finding out about the building’s history motivated Wong and Ang to keep going despite their initial speed bumps.  “We were shocked, but that’s where we said that we need to continue this. It’s a sign that we should carry on,” Wong said. From the start, the Jazz at 248 project has been about fostering community, Wong said.  “What will really make us feel accomplished is when the community grows … My husband and I will say we accomplished (their goal) to build a jazz community,” she said. Surrounding businesses on Bank Street were nothing but helpful as she and Ang navigated through their setbacks, Wong said.  “They helped us when they knew we were in trouble. It has that community feel on the street already and we hope to revive it (further),” she said. With the Ottawa Jazz Festival starting Friday, Wong said she hopes the 10-day event at Confederation Park will spark people’s interest in the genre and bring in new “jammers.” “I don’t know how the (jazz festival) will affect us, but I choose to look at the positive side. Hopefully, when it’s too packed there and people are itching to play, they will come here,” she said.  As the project grows, Wong said she hopes it will serve as a place for young people to explore their musical interests and allow them to try their hand at performing live music. The establishment is still in the process of obtaining its liquor license. It operates as a café for now, serving light snacks and various non-alcoholic beverages.  Currently, weekend afternoons at Jazz at 248 are reserved for family open stage sessions, where musicians of every age are encouraged to showcase their talents, no matter the genre – as long as it isn’t hard rock.  “They can just come to our stage, but it doesn’t have to tie into jazz. It can be pop or rap or originals, but we discourage metal rock because I don’t think our instruments are meant for that,” Wong said. In the future, Wong and Ang hope to create more themed nights, such as Brazilian or swing music nights.