Palladino's Jazz and Blues Club, a small neighbourhood bar tucked above Pizzeria Villaggio in Cardiff's Whitchurch suburb, is drawing music fans from far and wide with a lineup of internationally renowned musicians. The venue, which opened in March 2025, is owned by drummer Marc Palladino, brother of Grammy-winning songwriter and bassist Pino Palladino, known for his work with Eric Clapton, Adele, and Ed Sheeran.
Kyle Eastwood Headlines This Week
This week, the Merthyr Road venue hosted two shows by Kyle Eastwood, the jazz bass player and composer of movie scores for Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Invictus. Eastwood, son of Clint Eastwood, performed with his band The Kyle Eastwood Experience on July 9.
Other notable acts performing in July include Grant Dermody, Adam Franklin, and Hamish Stuart from Average White Band. Previous highlights have included legendary guitarist Jim Mullen, the Charlie Wood Trio, Ian Matthews of Kasabian, the Huw Warren Trio, Bella Collins, Irris Rivière, Delta du Bruit, Grammy-nominated Jay Azzolina, the Groove Merchant Quartet featuring Dick Hamer, and QCBA featuring Brandon Allen and Quentin Collins, who played the venue's first live show.
Owner Marc Palladino on the Venue's Success
Marc Palladino, who has worked in hospitality since age 12 and comes from a family with 40 years of involvement in Cardiff's scene, said: "The response has honestly exceeded anything we hoped for. Since opening, we've been incredibly fortunate to attract internationally renowned musicians alongside some of the UK's finest performers." He added: "Earlier this year we welcomed Omar, whose 'There's Nothing Like This' remains one of the defining British soul records. That's certainly one of the standout bookings of the past year."
The venue has drawn regulars from Cardiff and beyond. "We are popular with student musicians and musicians alike. What's especially rewarding is seeing audiences travel from all over Wales and beyond. We have regular visitors from North Cardiff but it's equally common to meet people who've driven a couple of hours because they've heard about the venue or wanted to experience a particular artist in such an intimate setting," Marc said.
Combining Passions for Music and Hospitality
Marc, a chef by trade, said: "Music has been another lifelong passion, from an early age, particularly jazz, blues and soul. Over the years I'd often talked about creating a venue where people could enjoy incredible live music in an intimate setting. Palladino's has allowed me to combine those two passions – hospitality and great music." He learned drums as a child and has performed with the band The Red Hot Pokers and Cardiff performer Leighton Jones.
