A radio personality describes New York's famous jazz venues

Jazz has often been associated with a particular venue: the jazz club. While Hollywood has sometimes depicted the clubs as dusky and dank but also romantic places filled with cigarette smoke and of course the occasional “shady” character, today’s jazz clubs are in reality a diverse lot. At some, the music accompanies full-course meals while others serve up late-night drinks and world-class live music. Over the years, certain performers have become indelibly associated with a particular club: Duke Ellington with the Cotton Club; Count Basie with Birdland, itself named for the tenor saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker.

In this feature article, Gary Walker offers a tour of the jazz clubs in New York City, the nation’s largest and most diverse jazz scene. Mr. Walker is Music Director and morning show host at radio station wbgo in nearby Newark, New Jersey, one of the nation’s leading jazz stations, and www.wbgo.org.

New York Jazz Scene
Welcome music fans to the jazz capital of the world! This article will give you insight into some select places to experience the jazz culture of New York. Considering a trip to the area and would like to take in some sounds? You’ve come to the right, or should I say righteous place. I know because my move to this area 24 years ago has been more than I could have imagined, highlighted by work as morning show host and music director for the world’s most acclaimed jazz radio station, WBGO. You can get connected right away by checking us out online at www.wbgo.org where 24 hours a day you’ll hear the classic sounds of jazz alongside the newest makers of the music. There’s also concert and club listings to get you in the mix before you arrive. And WBGO regularly puts you in the moment with numerous live broadcasts from the area’s top clubs and concert halls.

We’ll start where I did on my first visit to New York, at the most historic of jazz venues, The Village Vanguard (www.villagevanguard.com)The site of many of the  most celebrated jazz performances and recordings, this club in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood continues its rich tradition of presenting world class performers.  The many historical photos adorning every wall remind you that you’re in a place where the hip has happened for quite some time. Don’t forget The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra there every Monday night.

When the top jazz names want a more intimate setting than concert halls, they often choose The Blue Note ( www.bluenotejazz.com) as their performance destination. Also located in the heart of The Village, this 25 year old club is the place where you might join NYC VIPs enjoying a set from Nancy Wilson, Chick Corea, The Manhattan Transfer, Poncho Sanchez or Ahmad Jamal.  Friday and Saturday nights also have late night jams and Mondays you can drop in for some inspired sounds from some of the newer names grabbing attention.

In the same area, another hot stop might be Sweet Rhythm ( www.sweetrhythmny.com). Sweet Rhythm is where listeners come “to hear the world” with a music policy that covers traditional and contemporary jazz, blues, salsa, Latin and more. There’s a Tuesday night vocal series, a can’t-miss Thursday night late jam and Monday nights with student ensembles from the Contemporary Music Program at The New School University.

As the saying goes, if a place has great music, eat somewhere else. You know,“the stage was hot. My plate was not.” There are some notable exceptions worth mentioning. The Jazz Standard ( www.jazzstandard.com) has been voted “best jazz club” by New York Magazine. The exceptional music enhanced by the club’s is restaurant, Blue Smoke, featuring some of the baddest barbecue to strut along with the swingin’ sounds from the stage. In Midtown, head to Birdland ( www.birdlandjazz.com). Great music in the most comfortable of club settings, Sundays feature Chico O’Farrill’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band. Tuesday’s you’ll find The Duke Ellington Orchestra. The club also hosts mini-festivals in addition to the headliners on other nights.  It’s also been the site of WBGO’s annual “Jazzathon”, a marathon day into night performance to raise funds to keep us broadcasting jazz and blues to the world.

Midtown New York is also home to Iridium ( www.iridiumjazzclub.com) In addition to legendary guitarist Les Paul every Monday and The Mingus Big Band  tearing it up on Tuesdays, you might drop in to a fiery set from James Carter’s Organ Trio, 4 Generations of Miles Davis or Mose Allison’s peculiar take on the world through song.

While we’re heading uptown let’s stop in at the newest, and certainly most spectacular of jazz  showplaces, the multi-venue Frederick P. Rose Hall, the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center (www.jalc.org). The facility itself speaks volumes to the majesty and musical power of this art form. The largest of the three performance spaces, the Rose Theatre, is designed after an Italian opera house and surrounds you with music from the resident Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, or one of the many other programs from the ambitious year round schedule. The Allen Room is where I first witnessed The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (also in residence) against the backdrop of the 50 foot by 90 foot glass wall overlooking Central Park from five stories up! The third of the performance spaces is Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. I call it the laboratory as you can see top jazz artists in for the week, an after-hours scene nightly and Monday “Upstarts”, highlighting some of  the younger, lesser known jazzers who will take this music on for ears to come.

The musical temperature at Smoke ( www.smokejazz.com)  gets  so high in the summer months they open  the whole front of the room, as the warm air comes in letting the hotter sounds of jazz pour out into the Broadway night. Of note are the B-3 organ trio-based jams. A vitamin B-3 shot is just what the doctor ordered! Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Hilton Ruiz and Eric Alexander have all had a hand in  percolating things  there recently.

Harlem, the largely African American upper Manhattan neighborhood, has always played a prominent role in the history of jazz. You can visit The Jazz Museum in Harlem at www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org for insight into today’s vibrant scene. A couple of club suggestions in the area would include Lennox Lounge ( www.lennoxlounge.com) where the Tuesday-Sunday jazz policy is complemented by a jazz & gospel brunch every Sunday. St. Nick’s Pub (149th Street St. Nicholas Ave.) has a great jam every Monday night and no cover.

Although not in Manhattan, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you in the direction of The Louis Armstrong House ( www.louisarmstronghouse.org). This Queens address is the actual home of Louis and Lucille Armstrong. No one has lived in the home since they passed. When you walk through the house/museum, it feels as if Louis speaks directly to you. One easily believes he could walk through the door at any moment.

Wandering around New York it’s impossible not to stumble into the world of jazz, with its strong sense of history and promise of a bright future. New Orleans, Hard Bop, Latin, Big Bands, Brazilian styles--they all are right here playing a very loud WELCOME as you enter. Get connected and make new discoveries you’ll keep for the rest of your life. Jazz is a music that is exciting and fun and a great place to meet new people. How close you get is entirely up to you.

For more information about New York City and its active cultural life, see Diverse, Dynamic New York City Looks to the Future; "Landmarks of New York" Exhibition To Visit 40 Countries