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Manhattan Jazz Scene

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Manhattan Jazz Clubs

55 Bar
55 Christopher St.
(btwn. 7th Ave. So. & Waverly Place)
212-929-9883
Leni and Mike Stern hold court, also Sweet Georgia Brown, Billy Bang and Wayne Krantz.

American Museum of Natural History
On 81st St. off Central Park West
(Hayden Planetarium)
(212) 769-5100
Fridays under The Sphere at the Rose Center for Earth and Space.
Musicians Jimmy Heath, Lou Donaldson, Steve Turre, and David “Fathead" Newman and their quartets.

Arthur's Tavern
57 Grove St.
(N.W. corner of Grove and 7th Ave. South at Sheridan Square)
212-675-6879
Since 1937. Longest continually run jazz club in NYC.
Jazz: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Dixieland jazz: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday.
Blues and R&B from 9 p.m. - 3 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday
11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Sunday and Monday.
The Creole Cooking Jazz Band, Grove Street Stompers and Sweet Georgia Brown

Birdland
315 West 44th Street
(btwn. 8th and 9th)
212-581-3080
All show times: 9:00 and 11:00 P.M.
Sundays Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band
Mondays Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin
Monday 5:30 - 7:30pm - The Art Blakey Jazz Messenger's Revue
Tuesdays The Famous Duke Ellington Orchestra directed by Paul Mercer Ellington with early sets at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. showcasing David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band.
Wednesday - Saturday expect the best in local and internationally touring artists.
Friday from 5:30 - 7:30pm - Lew Anderson's All American Big Band.

Blue Note
131 W. 3rd St
(btwn. 6th Ave. & MacDougal St.)
(212) 475-8592
Opened in 1981, the Blue Note is arguably the world's most popular jazz club.
Friday and Saturday late night jam sessions.
Sunday brunch served Noon - 6 PM.
Show times at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM.

Blue Water Grill
31 Union Square West
(Corner West 16th St.)
(212) 675-9500
Fine restaurant with live jazz booked for downstairs dining area.

Cafe Creole
99 McDougal St.
(btwn. W. 3rd & Bleecker)
(212) 475-4132
Tuesday thru Sunday from 6:00-2:00 and Mondays from 9-2.

The Cajun
129 Eighth Ave.
(btwn. 16th & 17th Streets)
212-691-6174
Dixieland and swing nightly 8 - 11
Sunday brunches and Wednesday lunches with live music.

Cleopatra's Needle
2485 Broadway
(btwn. 92nd & 93rd)
212-769-6969
Music from 9 pm - 4 am.
Featuring Eric Lewis Trio on Mondays.
Nightly open jams from 2 am - 4 am.
Jazz vocalists open mic every Sunday 1 to 5 pm.

C-Note
157 Ave. C
(btwn. 9th & 10th St.)
(212) 677-8142
Jazz trios 5pm-7pm,
Open jams every Sunday from 3pm-6pm -(moving to Sat. at end of June). Often find pianist Gil Coggins who's recorded with both Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins jamming at C-Note.

Decade
1117 First Avenue
(at 61st Street)
(212) 835-5979 Jazz with dinner weekdays for the Upper East Side.

Detour
349 E. 13th St.
(btwn. 1st & 2nd Aves.)
212-533-6212 Detour is the place to go in the East Village to catch Matt Wilson and John Funkhouser for free on their way up. They are among the talented new breed gigging at this inconspicuous diamond in the rough.

Fat Cat
75 Christopher Street
(at 7th Ave. South)
(212) 675-6056
Music from 10pm-4am Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Fat Cat is the little brother of Smalls and features a similar posture and roster.

Fez under Time Cafe
380 Lafayette St.
(at Great Jones Street)
212-533-2680
Thursday Night: Mingus Big Band.
Features the bad boys of New York's big band players.

The Garage
99 7th Ave. So
(Just South of W 4th St.)
212-645-0600
Aspiring jazz groups nightly, usually fronted by a vocalist.
Sunday Jazz Brunch begins at noon.

Gishen Cafe
2150 5th Ave.
(btwn. 131st & 132nd)
(212) 283-7699 Jazz jams several nights a week with Friday and Saturday nights typically non jazz DJ party events.

Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
(at 89th Street)
(212) 423-3500
Fridays and Saturdays 5 - 8 PM. Worldbeat jazz program.

Internet Cafe
82 E 3rd St.
(btwn. 1st & 2nd Aves.)
212-614-0747
Friday & Saturday night sets are at 10 & 11:30 pm; all other nights sets are at 9:30 & 11 pm.
The most unpretentious and informal straight ahead jazz cafe perhaps in the world.

Iridium
1650 Broadway
(at 51st St)
212-582-2121
Top internationally known artists play six day runs.
Les Paul Trio every Monday.
Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 and 10:30.
Fri. & Sat 3rd Set at Midnight.

Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson St.
(Corner of Spring)
(212) 242-1063
Monday's feature Frank Lacy's 14 Piece “Vibe Tribe."
Jazz Gallery performance series are funded in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, Presenting Program.
Also featured is a Sunday series of concerts on the river aboard the historic ferry “Yankee" moored at Pier 25 directly at the foot of North Moore Street.

Jazz Standard
116 East 27th St
(btwn. Lexington and Park Ave South)
(212) 576-2232
Closed for renovations. A finely appointed basement club with 130 seats featuring straight ahead jazz artists.
Sets at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. weekdays; 8:00, 10:30 and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays; and 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Sundays.
A street level lounge and restaurant, 27 Standard, also features jazz at with no cover charge, nightly.

Jules
65 St. Marks Pl.
(btwn. 1st & 2nd Aves.)
212-477-5560
Jazz nightly starting at 9:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on weekends.
Jean Michel Pilc and other noteworthy artists perform here.
Sunday jazz brunch starts at 12:00 and goes till 3:00.

Kavehaz
123 Mercer St.
(btwn. Prince & Spring Sts.)
212-343-0612
A Euro-styled coffee house and art gallery in SoHo that has jazz nightly and starting in the afternoon on weekends. They feature straight ahead artistes as well as Latin jazz and flamenco guitar (Sundays from 4-7).
Ray Vega performs weekly on Wednesdays with his Boperation.
Open blues jam takes place Mondays 9-12.

Knickerbocker Saloon
33 University Place
(at 9th St.)
212-228-8490
Jazz Wed. through Sat.
Often featuring legends with stars as bright as Sir Roland Hanna, Junior Mance, Mulgrew Miller, Billy Drummond, and Earl May.

Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St.
(btwn. Broadway & Church St.)
(212) 219-3006 This is the granddaddy long legs of “downtown jazz" venues -- featuring a genre bending blend of envelope pushing and utterly deserving acts on several intimate stages throughout the deceptively vast complex.

The Lenox Lounge
288 Lenox Ave.
(btwn. 124th & 125th St.)
212-427-0253
Local jazz booked on weekends
The 3 Sets are 10:00, 11:30 and 1:00.
Blues and R & B Thursday sets 8:00-12:00.
Monday night jazz jam sessions with Roy Campbell and Taz.

Metronome: Jazz Lounge
915 Broadway
(Corner of 21st St.)
212-505-7400
Wed. to Sat. 7:00 - 11:00.

Parlor Entertainment
555 Edgecombe Ave, #3F
(Corner of 160th St.)
212-781-6595
This is the essence of Harlem jazz -- a rite of passage for all jazz fans and musicians. Marjorie, Ray, and Rudel welcome you into their home every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 4:00 to enjoy two sets of standards and original music provided by a rotating roster of jazz legends and local talent. Marjorie's living room is absolutely the warmest, most spirited 500 square feet in all New York.

Red Blazer
32 W 37th St.
(btwn. 5th & 6th)
212-947-8940 Monday-Thursday four sets 7 pm. Fri-Sat 9 pm - 12:30.

Showmans
375 West 125th Street
(East of Morningside Ave.)
212-864-8941
Monday- Thirsday Sets: 8:30, 10, 11:30.
Friday and Saturday Sets: 10:30, 12:30, 2:30.
Jazz tap dancing on Thursdays.
A beautiful blending of the genteel with the earthy soul histories of Harlem can be found in this well appointed local showcase, which has been home to the greats (e.g. Sara Vaughan, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Eartha Kitt) since 1942.

Smalls
183 West 10th Street
(at 7th Avenue)
212-929-7565 10 pm - 8 am. Smalls has at least 3 bands nightly.

Smoke
2751 Broadway
(at 106th St)
212-864-6662
Sets at 9, 11, 12:30.
Monday and Thursday night jam sessions encourages vocalists and players to step up.
10:00pm Monday Jam Session hosted by John Farnsworth & special guests. Late Night Thursday Jam Session hosted by Joel Frahm - >From 1:30 am until 4 am.

Sofia's
221 W. 46th St.
(btwn. 8th Ave. & Broadway)
(212) 719-5799
Italian restaurant at the 1931 Edison Hotel which features jazz music in its bar Tuesdays - Saturdays 7:00 P.M. to 12:00.

St. Nick's Pub
773 St. Nicholas Blvd.
(Corner of 149th St.)
212-283-9728 Best Monday night jam session in the city.
Monday jam with Patience Higgins and the Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet driving the festivities beginning at 9:30.
Thursday features the club's charming singing bartender, Arlene Talley. Guest artists frequently stop by to sit in. Among them: James Carter, Olu Dara, Savion Glover, Reggie Workman, Wynton Marsalis, Laurel Watson, Etta Jones, even Stevie and Aisha Wonder.

Sweet Basil
88 Seventh Ave.
(btwn. Bleecker and Grove)
212-242-1785
Closed April 30, 2001
Since 1975. Keep a look out for their replacement: Sweet Rhythms: opening to be announced.

Swing 46
349 W. 46th Street
(btwn. 8th & 9th Aves.)
212-262-9554
Swing dance & supper club. Featuring Live Bands - Swing & Jump Blues 7 Nights a week.

Tonic
107 Norfolk St
(btwn. Delancey & Rivington)
212-358-7501

Torch
137 Ludlow St.
(btwn. Stanton & Rivington Sts.)
212-228-5151
Open Sun - Thurs. from 6:00 P.M. - 2:00 A.M.; and on the weekend till 4:00 A.M.
Chet Bakerish, Todd Londigan will impress you with his tap shoes, when he's not on tour with The Flying Neutrinos.

Village Vanguard
178 Seventh Ave.
(near 11th St.)
212-255-4037
Sunday - Thursday 9:30 and 11:30
Friday and Saturday 9:30, 11:30, and 1:30.
Monday nights, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis over 33 years ago continues their big band tradition.
The Vanguard opened its doors in 1935 and is the archetypal Greenwich Village jazz club which has the right vibes and an excellent booking policy. Catch pianist Tommy Flanagan here for a perfect jazz night out.

Zinc Bar
90 W. Houston St.
(btwn. Thompson St. & LaGuardia Pl)
212-477-8337
Open 7 days, 6 P.M. - 3:30 A.M. on weeknights, and till 4 A.M.
Monday showcases the guitar trio of Ron Affif at 8:00 and 9:00.
Featured bands play 3 sets Mon. -Thurs. at 10:30, 12, and 2:00.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are jazz nights, while Thursdays are Latin
Fridays are African and Saturdays are Brazilian Bossa Nova.

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