Live Jazz Spots in NYC
There is no substitute for live jazz, and New York is the place to hear it. Th New York City Jazz Record is a monthly free paper distributed at local venues with an online edition that has a full rundown on the NY jazz scene. Click on the most recent issue for a PDF version of the paper with live links to club websites and schedules on all the ads. The New York City Jazz Club Bible has an exhaustive list of clubs. Here is a short list of some favorite venues.
The Village Vanguard: 178 Seventh Ave. South, just below 11th St. 212-255-4037. The best of the best. Some of the best live recordings of all time happened here, my favorite place to hear music. Awkward room (long and narrow) but walk down the steep steps into history. Opened by Max Gordon in 1935 (who passed away in 1989), it is still run by his wife Lorraine. She’s the no nonsense older woman (now 85 years old but doesn't look it) who might ask for your reservation name on a busy night. Read her autobiography Alive at the Village Vanguard, it's a fascinating book that chronicles her life in jazz and two husbands - first Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion then Max Gordon. Talk about classic doubleheaders. There was a great feature about her on NPR.
The Jazz Standard: 116 E. 27th Street. 212-576-2232. Acoustically and gastronomically a great place for music. The BBQ joint Blue Smoke is upstairs, and the jazz room is downstairs, but you can order excellent food off the Blue Smoke menu in the downstairs room.
Small’s: 183 West 10th Street (at 7th Ave). Reopened in March 2005, a great late night spot just down the block from the Vanguard. Many sets per night of different artists starting early and running until long past your bedtime. Small, intimate room. Stop by after the Vanguard, it is right around the corner.
Smoke: 2751 Broadway (106th St.). 212-864-6662. Uptown, great artists (with a Chicago bias) and very good food, a first class sound system, and an elegant setting.
Blue Note: 131 W. 3rd St. 212-475-8592. Attracts top shelf talent, and has impeccable sound. Good food too.
The Jazz Gallery: 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (between 27th-28th St.). A non-profit organization/performance space dedicated to emerging jazz artists. Up an elevator in an office building, it's not your typical space.
Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center): Frederick Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th St., 5th Floor. 212-258-9595. The first branding opportunity based jazz club I’ve seen (Coca-Cola), but part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and some superb musicians can be heard here.
The Kitano: 66 Park Ave. (at 38th St.). 212-885-7119. Elegant jazz room inside the hotel.
The Bar Next Door (Lanterna Caffe): 129 MacDougal St. 212-529-5945. Downstairs at La Lanterna Caffe. Small, as intimate as Small's - the tables are right on top of the players. "Emerging Artist" set is 6:30-7:45 Mon-Thus, no cover. Excellent thin crust pizza.
The Knickerbocker: 33 University Place. 212-228-8490. A piano/bass room. Low key, Music Fri and Sat only.
The Zinc Bar: 82 W. 3rd St. (between Thompson and Sullivan). 212-477-9462. Excellent music with a bit more edge.
55 Bar: 55 Christopher St. (between 6th and 7th Ave). 212-929-9883. Mix of jazz, blues, and funk artists.
The blog Jazz Wax published a list of now defunct NYC jazz clubs and ballrooms where famous albums were recorded so you can see where they once stood. This is catnip for some of us...
The Village Vanguard: 178 Seventh Ave. South, just below 11th St. 212-255-4037. The best of the best. Some of the best live recordings of all time happened here, my favorite place to hear music. Awkward room (long and narrow) but walk down the steep steps into history. Opened by Max Gordon in 1935 (who passed away in 1989), it is still run by his wife Lorraine. She’s the no nonsense older woman (now 85 years old but doesn't look it) who might ask for your reservation name on a busy night. Read her autobiography Alive at the Village Vanguard, it's a fascinating book that chronicles her life in jazz and two husbands - first Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion then Max Gordon. Talk about classic doubleheaders. There was a great feature about her on NPR.
The Jazz Standard: 116 E. 27th Street. 212-576-2232. Acoustically and gastronomically a great place for music. The BBQ joint Blue Smoke is upstairs, and the jazz room is downstairs, but you can order excellent food off the Blue Smoke menu in the downstairs room.
Small’s: 183 West 10th Street (at 7th Ave). Reopened in March 2005, a great late night spot just down the block from the Vanguard. Many sets per night of different artists starting early and running until long past your bedtime. Small, intimate room. Stop by after the Vanguard, it is right around the corner.
Smoke: 2751 Broadway (106th St.). 212-864-6662. Uptown, great artists (with a Chicago bias) and very good food, a first class sound system, and an elegant setting.
Blue Note: 131 W. 3rd St. 212-475-8592. Attracts top shelf talent, and has impeccable sound. Good food too.
The Jazz Gallery: 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (between 27th-28th St.). A non-profit organization/performance space dedicated to emerging jazz artists. Up an elevator in an office building, it's not your typical space.
Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center): Frederick Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th St., 5th Floor. 212-258-9595. The first branding opportunity based jazz club I’ve seen (Coca-Cola), but part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and some superb musicians can be heard here.
The Kitano: 66 Park Ave. (at 38th St.). 212-885-7119. Elegant jazz room inside the hotel.
The Bar Next Door (Lanterna Caffe): 129 MacDougal St. 212-529-5945. Downstairs at La Lanterna Caffe. Small, as intimate as Small's - the tables are right on top of the players. "Emerging Artist" set is 6:30-7:45 Mon-Thus, no cover. Excellent thin crust pizza.
The Knickerbocker: 33 University Place. 212-228-8490. A piano/bass room. Low key, Music Fri and Sat only.
The Zinc Bar: 82 W. 3rd St. (between Thompson and Sullivan). 212-477-9462. Excellent music with a bit more edge.
55 Bar: 55 Christopher St. (between 6th and 7th Ave). 212-929-9883. Mix of jazz, blues, and funk artists.
The blog Jazz Wax published a list of now defunct NYC jazz clubs and ballrooms where famous albums were recorded so you can see where they once stood. This is catnip for some of us...