Sit Back, Relax and Listen To A Little Jazz

"Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking."
Nina Simone

Jazz originated in New Orleans and had its roots in blues and ragtime, entering the cultural mainstream in the 1920s. Over the years, jazz evolved due to amazing musicians such as Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Jazz not only encourages artistic innovation but helps to break down barriers and stimulate intercultural dialogue. The 30th of April was declared International Jazz Day by UNESCO in November 2011, with the reason being that they believe that jazz is a force for peace dialogue and mutual understanding. LEGO have paid homage to this beautiful genre of music with the LEGO 21334 Jazz Quartet, LEGO 10312 Jazz Club and the LEGO 21323 Grand Piano.

SEEKING OUT THE SOULFUL VIBES

LEGO 10312 Jazz Club

A beautiful modular consisting of 2,899 pieces and also includes 8 LEGO Minifigures. There is so much amazing detail in this set as there usually is with modular buildings, so let’s take a look.

Just looking at it straight on you are struck by the large printed Jazz Club sign. We love the way this protrudes from the middle of the building over the entrance. The signs announcing live music and the magician are also printed tiles. The four upper windows on the Jazz Club have been created using 1x1 trans-coloured bricks, making it very effective for a stained glass look. To the right, there is a sign for the tailor who works above the pizzeria. It is a shame that there is no sign for the pizzeria itself but they are serving newly printed pizza slices.

Outside there is a table and chairs where customers can eat their pizza before or after the show, and the pavement and lamppost are in keeping with the previous modular buildings so this will look consistent next to any of them. As we venture into the smoky atmosphere of the club, there are a few tables and chairs laid out for the customers to watch the bands, and there is even a toilet located under the stairs. On the little corner stage, there is a drum kit and a saxophone both ready to omit some funky tunes. The curtains and lighting rig can be removed so that the stage setup can be altered.

The club manager has their own office that features a telephone, a record player and even a little private balcony that allows them to watch the bands. The tailor’s studio obviously contains a sewing machine, a cute dressmaker dummy and several rolls of fabric ready to become his latest creation. Cooking away underneath the tailor is the pizzeria that is full of lovely ingredients to make the freshest pizzas around. The reason they are the freshest is because of the rooftop garden that gives residence to a greenhouse so they can grow their own produce.

The minifigure residents of this street include the pizza chef and his delivery boy (complete with a bright green scooter), the club owner, the tailor, the magician (complete with rabbit, flowers and multi-coloured scarf) and the band. The band consists of the female singer with a beautiful black patterned dress and the double bass player with his double bass case and hearing device. Then there’s the drummer with their own trusty drumsticks! This is a really beautiful set with a lot of unique details, which looks amazing with the rest of the modular sets but is especially nice placed next to the LEGO 10297 Boutique Hotel as the bright, light blue ties them together.

FANTASTIC FOURSOME

LEGO 21334 Jazz Quartet

A fantastic representation of the funk and soul that flows through Jazz musicians as they play. We love the way the musicians are created as if mid-song, and the myriad of studs on the stage so that you can set up the band however you wish. To keep this quartet looking amazing and dust-free, why not display the set in a bespoke display case?

LEGO 21323 Grand Piano

This set is not necessarily Jazz-themed but it is definitely worth mentioning. This Grand Piano has 25 fully functional keys connected to hammers and the capability to connect to your phone via the Powered Up app so that it can play melodies. When you remove the top it is possible to see all the intricate internal mechanisms, which are an amazing piece of design. This will be an absolute nightmare to keep dust-free, so we suggest investing in a sturdy clear acrylic case which you can find from iDisplayit.

Do any of you lovely readers own any of these sets, how have you displayed them? Let us know your thoughts.