As the name implies, the venue in question is a Jazz Club. As the name also implies, the Jazz club is named after the owner whose nickame is none other than "Blow Job" hence the BJ's part of the name.
The place has been around for a while and has a tortuous history, claiming its fair share of fame and notoriety for events and incidents that spice up its history like flakes of dried chili peppers on a plate of spaghetti alla puttanesca.

A Brief History
The site where BJ's is today had been a pub since the late sixties and was bought and converted to it's current state some time around 1975. I mention its current state because renovation is considered to be a natural phenomenon by the owner so he feels bad about interfering. During the seventies the place enjoyed the popularity that the jazz scene brought with it, and live music was appreciated as a veritable source of entertainment. Live bands would sit in and improvise until two in the morning after which the place would close to the outside world, leaving a select few single businessmen, the musical stragglers and an adequate supply of cocaine and other wonderful chemicals that altered the mood and outlook of the select few. To overcome the "fame" that this caused, BJ's started organising a musical marathon where the proceeds would be donated to a particular charity. The cause is different each year, and the tradition lasts until today with the marathon increasing in length each year, lasting for about 8 days in total. All local bands and individual musicians contribute to the worthy cause and the associated excuse to meet up and drink oneself silly at 5 am in the name of charity and good will.

Why Bother?
The club is bang in the centre of the hottest entertainment area on the Island but is neatly buried undergound and totally soundproof. The atmosphere is relaxed enough to promote the place to the status of "living room" in my personal classification of night-spots. The lights are dim and the music ranges from acceptable to awesome. There is a different band every night with the exception of Sunday nights when the stage is open to all. The house instruments are not of a particularly good quality but rugged enough to withstand the toll of hundreds of musicians beating the crap out of them on a regular basis until they fail with an asthmatic wheeze or an anaemic sigh. The drinks are priced to coincide with the local average, meaning about 2 US$ for a pint of beer or a measure of spirit and about 1US$ for a soft drink. In short, it is the typical dark, smokey place with ethnic sculptures on the walls and the occasional cigarrette burn on the carpet where you can turn up in a dinner jacket or track suit and blend in perfectly each time.
The Music
Despite the title, the variety of musical styles one encounters at BJ's is surprisingly broad. Classical Jazz trios, complete with the regulation grey hair and deep wrinkles make way for pop-rock bands featuring the latest face on the block. A quiet Blues jam is spiced up by the budding percussionist adding his two cents on the djembes. In short the stage is a mixing pot for as wide a variety of musicians and drummers as the Island can offer.
Getting yer ass down there:
The exact address is:
BJ's Jazz Club
Ball Street,
Paceville.
Malta.
  1. Hop onto a plane with destination Malta, Europe.
  2. Take a taxi to St. Julians (aka Paceville pronounced Pach-é-ville).
  3. Pick your way carefully to Ball Street, across the road from KFC
  4. BJ's is the inconspicuous entrance on the left next to the Turkish kebab place.
The chances of meeting me there range from remote before 11pm on weekdays to highly likely after 1am on Thursdays and Sundays.
Update: Breaking away from tradition, BJ's has recently tried some refurbishing. A piece of three-ply has been placed upon part of the carpeting. Now you only stick to the floor in half of the place. The Manager proudly annouced his new parquet and pointed out the nice finish. In fact the wood was placed dirctly on the carpet to which it stuck permanently by means of some kind of magic.

New legends:

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