Trading eights with Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, one of Montreal’s greatest jazz clubs

As MC Escher said: “Only those who will attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I think it’s in my basement…let me go check upstairs.” 

Back in 1995, Joel Giberovitch first attempted the absurd by buying into a hangout where Concordia students played backgammon and speed chess. Then he achieved the impossible by transforming it into one of Montreal’s most recognized surviving jazz clubs: Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill.

Maiden Voyage

“I was working at my father’s Mexican restaurant, El Coyote, and Upstairs was looking for a new business partner,” Joel explains. “They approached my father, and hewasn’t really interested. He asked me if I wanted to get involved. I was barely 23 years old. I was green. I figured, ‘sure, why not?’ That’s how we got our foot in the door.” 

“School just didn’t suit me,” he admits. “I never thrived in that environment, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped at it. I definitely got my education making mistakes here.”

Like running to tell the kitchen about his first significant booking, jumping up, and busting open his head. 

“That’s one mistake I’ll always remember,” Joel says.

"I went to every club I could... I wanted to be able to come back with as much knowledge as possible. I was so driven and passionate about wanting to give Montreal the kind of clubs they had in New York."

Autumn in New York

A year after joining the Upstairs team, Joel bought out his co-owner, and his father soon after. Though young and new to the business, he had a passion for Frank Sinatra and a clear vision—a New York-style jazz club, with a proud Montreal soul.

During the early years of Upstairs’ metamorphosis from a bar with an upright piano in the back to a bumping concert venue housing a Steinway Model B and a stage, Joel took a trip to New York.

“I went to every club I could: The Vanguard, Dizzy’s, Bradley’s (before it closed). I was like a sponge. I wanted to be able to come back with as much knowledge as possible. I was so driven and passionate about wanting to give Montreal the kind of clubs they had in New York. At the time, we didn’t really have a listening room like this.”

While Joel really liked Biddle’s (another downtown Montreal jazz club that no longer exists), he felt that it leaned toward R&B and relied more heavily on singers. While Upstairs does showcase singers today, their focus fell on instrumentals.

Joel wanted to offer a blend of Manhattan clubs’ pure mecca feel with the longevity of lesser-known Village establishments where musicians got together to jam after their sets.

“It’s a place for students, teachers, musicians, and Jazz Fest players to come together and play and chat and hang. That’s where communities grow—spaces to congregate and celebrate music and each other.”

Summertime

When Upstairs became affiliated with the Montreal Jazz Festival over 15 years ago, they tried their hand at running late-night jams. These days, Joel put the jams aside to focus on an incredible panel of talent near and far.

“I want the young, the legendary, a real mix. I like to promote local musicians. Taurey Butler, Dawn Tyler Watson…these are the people that play here often, but they’re doing something different during the festival.”

“We also bring in international artists. I’m super stoked to have George Coleman on stage,” a sax player who worked with legends like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s.

“I’ve had Benny Green of the Jazz Messengers on my wish list for a long time. I’ve wanted to bring him in for years.”

Joel is equally stoked to blend Montreal musicians with out-of-town masters, like drummer Billy Hart. “It’s so amazing to help our players get the chance to perform with these guys. It’s also incredibly rewarding, seeing our hard work lead to a smooth show."

“I think it is really the responsibility of a jazz club to educate people in terms of the genre, the history and future of music. I also think there’s a responsibility, at least at this club, to educate and promote the next generation.”

The Avant-Garde

“The advantage of Upstairs is that it’s a small room. I can afford to be a little more jazz-centric, which is what crowds expect. But at the same time, I will book stuff that is outside of jazz as long as there’s a quality of authenticity to it. 

“If you look at our Thursdays, I’ll do blues; Tuesdays, I’ll promote the up-and-coming. I tend to prefer something that swings a little bit. When I’m in a club, I like to have my toes tapping and my fingers snapping. But I can also appreciate music that I wouldn’t necessarily listen to because that’s what music is all about. You can't be a purist, you have to evolve.”

The Shape of Jazz to Come

Education plays a huge role in this evolution. “I think it is really the responsibility of a jazz club to educate people in terms of the genre, the history and future of music. I also think there’s a responsibility, at least at this club, to educate and promote the next generation.”

The Montreal scene’s revolving door of musicians makes it special. McGill students become McGill teachers, the younger players become the headliners—a big part of this is thanks to Upstairs’ affiliation with university programs. Joel offers more than an invitation for Concordia and McGill students to play at a nearby venue; it’s an invitation to help them understand the professional side of things.

“We can help them learn how to play a gig, where to put their instrument, how to do a proper soundcheck, talk to the audience, introduce the band. I’ll tell them, ‘You’re professionals playing at a higher level. Let people know who you are, give yourselves a name, talk to the audience.’”

“We set the bar high. The students dress up and wear suits. They look better than me,” Joel smiles. The Upstairs owner encourages them to see their combo shows as a gig, whether their family and friends are in the audience, or locals looking for dinner and a few standards.

A Love Supreme

Coming up on their thirtieth anniversary, Joel loves his job more than ever.

“It’s super cliché, but if you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life. I still get excited to go in every morning.”

The phone rings off the hook in the background. The place is still working on getting an online reservation system. In the meantime, Joel ends on a more serious note: “Running a small business is tough. There’s certainly a pre- and post-Covid reality. Things are expensive. I no longer have the same reference points. But that just makes things interesting. I’m definitely becoming more efficient and better at problem-solving.”

When asked about advice for small business owners? 

“Surround yourself with great people because you can’t do everything by yourself. Surround yourself with people who complement your skills, that have strengths where you have weaknesses, and that are passionate."

"Love what you do, and you’ll succeed.”

Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill is located at 1254 Mackay Street.