One of the ‘world’s most famous jazz clubs’ is about to strike up a tune in London.

Blue Note, the legendary New York jazz club, will open its doors in Covent Garden this week after receiving final licensing approval from Westminster City Council.

The venue — an offshoot of the original Blue Note, which opened in New York in 1981 and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most famous jazz clubs — will welcome its first audience on Thursday evening.

Grammy Award-winning pianist Robert Jasper will take to the stage as Blue Note London’s opening act.

Following the final approval on Wednesday, Westminster City Council deputy leader Tim Barnes was given a tour of the new venue.

He said: “ It’s fantastic to see another world-class venue opening up here that will help build the future of live music in London.

"Westminster City Council has a strong track record in supporting small music venues.

“Eight years ago, I led the introduction of a UK-first scheme for grass roots music venues, like the iconic 100 Club, to be zero-rated for business rates.

"Our licensing policy is all about supporting venues in what is a tough trading climate while upholding our legal duty to keep pubs, clubs and their customers safe.

"The Blue Note now joins a West End jazz constellation alongside the likes of the Soho Jazz festival, which ran last week, and legendary spaces like Ronnie Scott's.

“We're sure the Blue Note will strike the right note with music lovers from everywhere."

Blue Note London will bring the intimate, late-night atmosphere of its international jazz clubs to St Martin’s Lane, with venues in other cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Milan and Tokyo.

The Covent Garden club will feature two spaces for live music, including a main room designed for headline performances and a smaller room dedicated to emerging British talent.

Blue Note will also pair its performances with premium food and drinks, offering a classic jazz supper-club experience before and during the shows.

Local residents and the Metropolitan Police previously raised objections to the club’s proposed late-night opening hours, amid concerns about crime, public nuisance and disorder.

The objections initially led to Westminster City Council rejecting the club’s application for a late-night licence.

Officers told Westminster City Council that they believed the late hours would “expose more people to crime and disorder in the immediate area”.

They said jazz fans “leaving the venue late at night” may become a target for illegal taxis who “prey on vulnerable, intoxicated lone females”, as well being targeted for mobile phone snatches.

The concern was echoed by a resident who asked councillors to limit the venue’s hours to 11pm to protect “vulnerable” jazz enthusiasts from criminals operating in the West End.

The unnamed resident wrote: “It is suggested that it is extremely likely that some of the dispersing jazz lovers may be inebriated to a greater or lesser extent or perhaps slightly disorientated by their emergence into the cool night air.

“They will be immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals who already prey on similar groups of people in the Soho area.”

But, Blue Note’s owners lodged an appeal to Westminster City Council and worked closely with officials to establish strict policies for noise management and guest dispersal.

Westminster City Council later reversed its decision and granted the 1am weekday license (and midnight on Sundays), citing it as a victory for the city's "After Dark" strategy to revitalise London’s nighttime economy while maintaining safeguards for the neighbourhood.

Speaking about the Blue Note jazz club, singer Jordan Rakei told The Standard: “I got to perform at the Blue Note venue in Tokyo a few times and one of the main things I love about it is you get to play two sets in a night.

“One set, get the vibe of the room and then have some dinner, and then settle down and have a more explorative second set.

“It’s a very fun place to play and it’s a dream of mine to play in each one of them all around the world.”

“There’s so much legacy and there’s a global family of venues. It’s exciting and makes live music in London very exciting at the moment,” he added.