Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, a new music club and restaurant in downtown Portsmouth, was once a YMCA building with an athletic gym, community spaces, and lounges on the second floor, and ground floor retail spaces below. After many years of neglect, this century-old landmark was transformed in 2021 into a state-of-the-art performance venue by the Labrie Group, enlivening the area both economically and culturally.

The front façade of the building was carefully restored; as were the tall, arched windows featuring the original YMCA logo. Exposed steel trusses give the historic spaces a fun, modern edge, while the new glass and steel addition expands the seating and allows daylight into the interior.

The centerpiece is the club: a performance stage with audience seating on two levels for 350 at tables and chairs, or 600 standing. The generous double height, viewing galleries, and connections to adjacent bar and lounges make for an inviting and great sounding space for the full range of trad jazz to blues to modern fusion, rock and funk.

Acentech’s team provided recommendations for the performance and room acoustics throughout; noise and vibration control for HVAC systems; and sound isolation between the upper floor spaces the music and bar spaces and the art gallery below. Our audiovisual team designed audiovisual systems for the performance stage, bar, game room, lounges and private event spaces on the third floor with both electronic and natural views of the main stage. The jazz club features in-house theater and projector capabilities, including a six-camera video system for livestreaming and recording of events.

Jimmy’s now attracts world-class jazz and blues artists, bringing the best musical talent to downtown Portsmouth.

“Wonderful venue for jazz and blues. Great acoustics, and they book only the best performers.” – Trip Advisor reviewer, January 2024