Ray’s Jazz at Foyles Charing Cross Road
If you love jazz, you’ve probably heard of Ray’s—the legendary CD and vinyl shop, on the second floor of our London Charing Cross Road flagship.
One of the last remaining jazz specialists on the high street, Ray’s offers over 5000 CDs and vinyl across Trad, Swing, Vocal, Avant Garde and Modern Jazz, with an extensive range of Blues, Folk and World Music and a selection of jazz DVDs and, of course, books. We also buy and sell second-hand stock—great for those hard-to-find and out of print gems.
We also host occasional jazz gigs in our Level 6 Auditorium at Charing Cross Road; check out our upcoming events for more.
Named after its founding owner and manager Ray Smith, Ray’s started life as Ray’s Jazz Shop on Shaftesbury Avenue in the 1970s, before eventually moving to Foyles in 2002. Over the years Ray’s has become part of the Soho and London jazz scene history: a meeting place for fans and artists alike, known for its live gigs, its iconic neon sign, and the familiar cat logo (first drawn by Wendy Smith, a professional illustrator and Ray’s wife).
To enquire about stock or placing an order, or to arrange selling second-hand stock, please email [email protected]
Visit our Charing Cross Road shop page for opening hours and how to find us.
Upcoming Events at Foyles
Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 featuring Gary Crosby
Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 featuring Gary Crosby
Friday 28th February 2025, 7pm Foyles Charing Cross Road Bassist, bandleader and Tomorrow’s Warriors Co-Founder, Gary Crosby OBE teams up with some of London’s finest emerging jazz talent for the first Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 live session of 2025! BOOK NOW
Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 featuring Denys Baptiste plus Frontline
Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 featuring Denys Baptiste plus Frontline
Friday 28th March 2025, 7pm Foyles Charing Cross Road Tomorrow’s Warriors alum, the award-winning saxophonist Denys Baptiste teams up with some of London’s finest emerging jazz talent for another very special Tomorrow’s Warriors +1 live session. BOOK NOW