Lineups and admission checked 9 November 2026.
Book Carrie Gibson’s Nuvosoul quartet at Jass Lounge for a Friday set that explicitly puts funk alongside jazz, blues and R&B. Choose Aretha at St. Regis Gardens for a staged soul show over dinner and the option of a more energetic second set. If you want to watch a drummer shape the music from the kit, Yussef Dayes is billed for Stage Two at Sole DXB on 12 December. His is the drum-led jazz choice in this guide.
Decide what you want to pay attention to before you book. If the players’ exchanges are why you’re going, a table with a clear view of the band can matter more than a seat near the vocalist. If your group wants songs to recognise and a show to watch during dinner, the staged format makes more sense. At a festival, choose the correct stage first and leave room to find a position where you can hear the bass and drums separately.
| If you’re going for | Choose | Published timing | Check before committing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funk in a small vocal-led quartet | Nuvosoul at Jass Lounge, DIFC | Friday at 11 pm | Exact musicians, stage view and date-specific minimum |
| Soul classics performed over dinner | Aretha, St. Regis Gardens | Tuesday–Sunday, shows at 8:30 and 10:30 pm | Which set the table covers and whether guests can move during it |
| A drummer-led festival performance | Yussef Dayes, Sole DXB Stage Two | Saturday 12 December, set time pending | Timetable, actual lineup and pass options |
Jass Lounge for the late Nuvosoul quartet
Jass Lounge is at ground level in GD2, DIFC. Its Friday schedule lists Carrie Gibson’s Nuvosoul duo at 7:30 pm and quartet at 11 pm. The venue describes the early set as piano and vocals, while the later billing names a blend of jazz, blues, R&B and funk. Pick the early set when the singer and piano are enough for you. Pick the late quartet when you want more parts to listen for and can confirm who is playing. The venue publishes an instrumentation list for its Thursday quartet. Ask for Friday’s players separately. Jass Lounge weekly lineup
Ask for the instruments you came to hear
If you’re booking specifically for live bass and drums, name both when you ask who is playing. Four musicians can be arranged in several ways. You might be happy with a singer, bass, keys and drums, or you might care more about whether the bassist and drummer play throughout the set. If the reservations team can only confirm the quartet billing, decide whether that’s enough for your group. Jass says it updates the lineup on Sundays and that resident acts may vary. Check your exact Friday before the cancellation window closes. Jass weekly programme · Jass booking FAQ
The room reel shows a close, dimly lit setting from an earlier music night. If you want to watch a drummer’s right hand or see when the players cue one another, ask where the band will be set up and whether you can see across it from the table. The closest table can give you a good view of a singer while leaving the back of the stage out of sight. If you’d rather hear the words clearly, tell the venue that when it suggests a table. Jass room reel · Jass Lounge booking and contact
Get the Friday commitment in writing
Jass publishes 21+ admission with valid ID and a per-person minimum of AED 260–1,000, varying by night and band. It lists no separate cover. At the published endpoints, two people would commit AED 520–2,000. That is the range across bookings, so use the actual quote for the 11 pm quartet before you compare it with a festival pass. The venue says it holds bookings for 15 minutes and charges AED 100 per person for cancellations less than 24 hours ahead or no-shows. Ask how long the table is yours and whether it covers the full late set. Jass age, minimum and cancellation policy
If you’re coming after dinner, tell the group when it needs to be seated for the music and how much it will commit at the lounge. The operator describes its food as mainly small dishes. A party that is arriving in two groups should ask whether everyone needs to check in together. For groups of eight or more, Jass recommends calling or emailing. Its reservations number is +971 50 912 4242. Jass reservations and food guidance
Aretha for a soul band in a staged dinner show
At Aretha in St. Regis Gardens, the operator describes a live band and vocalists performing soul classics for its 8:30 pm dinner show. It advertises a more energetic 10:30 pm second set, with a DJ-led period after 11:45 pm. The published show schedule runs Tuesday through Sunday. Use the early sitting if you want to hear the band while the group eats. If you’re looking at the second set, ask which numbers involve the live musicians and how long they’ll play. The operator describes the change in energy without publishing a song list or a night-by-night rhythm lineup. Aretha’s official show schedule
Decide how much of the performance you want to watch
This is the choice for a group that wants the arrangement to support a staged show. Listen for how a band brings in the chorus or changes the pace beneath a singer. A bassist can make a familiar refrain feel different by varying the notes between vocal phrases. A drummer can use a short fill to lead into a new section. If those parts are the reason you’re going, ask for a table where you can see the players as well as the front of the stage. The operator’s October reel shows tables, raised hands and stage lighting. It gives you a sense of how the performance sits inside the dining room. Aretha room and performance reel · Aretha’s description of the first show
For a group that wants to move, ask whether there’s space to stand or dance during the second show and where that space is relative to the table. A late set advertised as dance-worthy can still be served as part of a seated dinner. If someone mainly wants to see the band, agree on the live portion first. Anyone staying for the DJ period can confirm whether the same reservation carries over. The night’s different stages make it possible to choose a live performance without committing to the whole evening. Aretha’s two sets and DJ handover
Confirm what your table includes
Aretha publishes strictly 21+ after 10 pm and may request official identification. If the group includes a younger guest, ask about eligibility and the departure time for the early sitting before you reserve. The venue publishes an à la carte food menu. Ask whether a minimum or deposit applies, whether a deposit counts toward food, and whether the same table is available for both sets. Call +971 4 540 0100 if the group’s main concern is where the musicians will be in relation to the table. Aretha reservations, menu and age policy
Yussef Dayes for a drummer-led festival set
Sole DXB lists Yussef Dayes on Stage Two on Saturday 12 December 2026 at The Square, Nad Al Sheba. Its artist page identifies the performance as live and accessible with all passes. The festival says timed sets will be announced in the final week. If you’re choosing the day because you want to watch Dayes at the kit, use the artist’s stage assignment before making a decision about any Main Stage viewing upgrade. Sole DXB day and stage lineup · Yussef Dayes’s festival listing
Watch the kit and listen for the bass underneath it
Dayes’s official drum reel shows him surrounded by cymbals and several drums, including a red snare. The audio credit identifies Chasing the Drum – A COLORS SHOW. It’s an earlier performance and gives you a close view of where his hands move as he works around the kit. For a wider ensemble example, the label’s live Tioga Pass video credits Rocco Palladino on bass, Venna on saxophone, Elijah Fox on piano and Alexander Bourt on congas and percussion alongside Dayes. Listen for which pulse you latch on to when the drum pattern gets busy. Those credits describe the Malibu performance. Sole hasn’t published a full Dubai roster or set list in the listing checked. Dayes’s drum reel · Nonesuch’s live Tioga Pass credits and video
At the festival, aim for a place where you can see the kit from the side as well as hear the other players. If you’re too close to follow the whole setup, move back far enough to see when another musician takes over. For friends who usually pick a show by its lead vocalist, this is a chance to listen for the moment when the rhythm itself gives the rest of the group a new direction. Official Sole artist listing
Use the Stage Two access you need
For Dayes on Stage Two, the Second Wave Saturday General Admission ticket was AED 375 on 9 November. Two Saturday tickets total AED 750 before checkout charges. Three-day GA at AED 595 per person makes sense if you have other days in mind. Golden Circle’s advertised viewing benefit is for the Main Stage. If you are going for the drummer, check Stage Two access directly if you need a particular viewing arrangement. Authorised Sole DXB selector · Sole’s pass explainer · Festival entry terms
What to listen for when the groove is the reason you went
Start with one repeated part
You don’t have to follow every note. Pick the bass line and notice where it repeats, then see whether the drummer marks those same points or accents the spaces in between. When you can hear both clearly, you may notice a short drum fill at the end of a phrase while the bass keeps the same figure going. That’s a useful way into a small quartet set. It also helps you decide where to sit. If a nearby speaker makes the bass easy to feel but hard to separate from the kick drum, ask whether another seat is available or leave yourself room to move at an unreserved festival stage.
Notice what changes when a singer comes in
In a staged soul show, listen to what the band does just before the vocalist enters. A drum fill can signal a change. A guitar or keyboard part may get simpler when the singer starts, then answer at the end of a line. Try listening to the same chorus twice. The first time, follow the voice. On the repeat, follow the instrument that gives the phrase its push. If your friends are coming for a song they know, that gives you something to compare without having to recognise every number in the set.
Let a drum-led set change your focus
When the drummer is the artist you came to see, follow the difference between keeping time and changing the shape of a phrase. A steady sound on the cymbal can carry on while the snare accents shift. In a group with an additional percussionist, listen for whether that second player repeats a pattern or answers the drummer. The Malibu performance offers a documented example of a kit and congas sharing the same ensemble. Use the Dubai stage listing to choose the day and leave the rest of the lineup to the organiser’s updates. Nonesuch’s Malibu performance credits · Sole DXB Stage Two listing
Match the night to the way you listen
For the band’s interplay from a seat, start with Friday’s Nuvosoul quartet. Ask for the instruments and the table view in the same conversation. When the set starts, follow the bass for one chorus and see what the drums do on the next one. If the singer stretches the end of a line, notice whether the other musicians keep the same pulse or leave space for the phrase to finish.
For recognisable music with a staged performance, start at Aretha with the early band-led dinner show. Choose the later set if more energy matters to the group, once you know which part is live and how the table works. If you’re paying for a table mainly to watch the musicians, make the sightline part of the reservation and ask whether the performers share one stage throughout the show.
For the drummer as the main reason to go, plan around Dayes on Stage Two. Give friends the stage name and the confirmed set time when Sole releases it. If you’re seeing a Main Stage act as well, check how much time there is to move before either performance. Choose your meeting point by the stage you care about most, especially if friends are using different viewing areas.
A useful plan gives everyone the name of the act, the first music they want to hear and the price for the booking that gets them there. Keep the venue’s arrival time and the set time separate. That small check makes a difference when a lounge has two sets, a dinner show switches to a DJ, or a festival’s doors open hours before the artist you want to hear.
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