Unlike their counterparts in Khao Sarn Road, shophouses located along Samsen Road tend to be busy throughout the day. However, the distinctive Rebop Bar really comes alive around sunset.

Rebop Bar tends to veer towards more standard jazz tastes, aiming to provide quality entertainment rather than just a pleasant ambience. You can get a flavor of what’s going down at Rebop Bar by just passing by since the rhythms and harmonies often spill out on onto the sidewalk.

And as you enter the small club, you’ll also quickly get a feel for what’s on offer, a photo of Miles Davis, the trumpeter, bandleader, and composer deemed one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. 

To recreate that genuine jazz club feel, the lighting is fairly dim, provided by a couple of bulbs in the ceiling and the roadside lights outside. The retro atmosphere is enhanced by black and white Billboard cuttings adorning the walls, along with more photos of some the “greats”. The decor is complimentary but takes a back seat to the entertainment. However, it certainly adds weight to the ambience.



Keep it neat

The sounds on offer at Rebop Bar veer towards modern jazz (1940s-1950s), and the artists appearing tend to have appeared at well-known hotels and restaurants around Bangkok. They are happy to join in the fun at Rebop Bar, where they can improvise and demonstrate their talents in front of an appreciative crowd.

All in all, the distinguishing feature of the jazz supplied at Rebop Bar is its standard, modern jazz feel in a New York style. Guest musicians tend to improvise to fit in or around this overall concept. Owner Krit Khianchainaj says the venue tries to steer away slightly from bossa nova, smoother jazz, or jazz fusion.

But the venue certainly does provide originality, offering a different house band every night Thursday through Sunday (showtime: 9.30 pm-late).

Fahtalaijone, basically comprising a group of music teachers, sets the musical tone on Thursday nights, while on Fridays, it’s Changton Trio’s turn on stage. The trio is led by guitarist Changton Kunchorn Na Ayudhya, a graduate of Berklee College of Music.