Klooks Kleek was a jazz/R&B club in the 1960s, based in The Railway Hotel, West Hampstead , North West London, next to the Decca Records studio. The club was named after a 1956 album by Kenny Clarke (Klook Clique, Savoy Records 12006).[1]
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Dick Jordan opened his jazz club in January 1961: every Wednesday Jazz was played.[2] The large number of new rhythm and blues and blues groups, caused him to hold a rhythm and blues night every Tuesday. The club had no special equipment and even lacked a stage.[3] The club belonged to the "blues circuit", a group of London venues that gave British blues bands performing opportunities (The Flamingo, 100 Club, The Crawdaddy and others). These bands included Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Herbie Goins and the Nightimers, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. John Mayall recorded his debut album John Mayall Plays John Mayall there on 7 December 1964 as did The Graham Bond Organisation and Zoot Money. In November 1966 Cream recorded a live session there that has been released only unofficially.[4] In April 1965 T-Bone Walker played the club[5] Many other notable bands, such as Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin, played there in later years.
The club closed in December 1970 but later reopened under the nameMoonlightClub.