New York City Jazz Guide

New York jazz clubs are some of the best in the world and serious fans of the music travel from around the world to experience this great American art form. Here are some of our favorite places to hear jazz

Village Vanguard  (178 Seventh Av South at 11st St)  The best known jazz club in the world has seen just about every important jazz musician from the last 70 years walk down its basement steps. If you only have time to visit one NY jazz club, make it the Vanguard.

Smoke (2751 Broadway near 106th St) Located uptown, this tiny 70 seat bar is one of the best jazz experiences in town. If you want a more intimate place to hear jazz, you'll have to invite some musicians into your living room to play. This is the place to go if you just want to hear some good music without the  cover changes and minimums that you will find at the other clubs on this list.  Sunday through Wednesday, there is no cover change with low table minimums (usually $20). On weekends, bigger names are booked and there is a cover.

Dizzy's Club Coca Cola (Broadway at 60th St.) A part of  Jazz at Lincoln Center, what's not to love about Dizzy's?  (well, we're not crazy about the name). From  an aesthetic point of view, Dizzy's is the finest jazz club in town. The nicely appointed furnishings, perfect sightlines, and top quality sound system would make this a terrific experience even if it didn't have the view of the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop to the performers. The standard cover here for the headline performer is $30 with a minimum of $10 table /  $5 bar. But you can check out the spectacular view and fine surroundings for a $10 cover, at the “After Hours” set featuring local artists on Tuesday - Thursday at 11:00 pm and after the last set of the headliner on Friday and Saturday.

Jazz Standard (116 E. 27th St) Midtown's best jazz room attracts an upscale crowd for lesser known but high quality performers at below average cover charges. Most of the audience comes for dinner from the excellent barbecue restaurant Blue Smoke upstairs. The Standard gets extra points for its pre-concert announcement asking the audience to turn off cellphones and avoid making unnecessary noise, something more clubs need to do.

Iridium (1650 Broadway at 51th St)  Another excellent place to experience jazz at its best. This club has excellent sight lines and sound system and books the top names in jazz.

Blue Note (131 W 3rd St at Sixth Av) This upscale Greenwich Village club books some of the biggest names in jazz.

Birdland (315 W 44th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves) This midtown club / restaurant is huge compared to most of the other NY clubs and books some big names  to fill its big room. 

Arthur’s Tavern (Grove and 7th Ave at Sheridan Square) This West Village bar hasn’t changed much since it opened in the 1940’s and neither has the cover charge. Jazz is presented seven nights a week until 3:00 am with no cover in a friendly no attitude atmosphere. Expect a crowded room, if you go.

55 Bar (55 Christopher St) is another Greenwich Village bar that hasn’t changed much since prohibition. There is no cover for the early set featuring upcoming local artists. Later, bigger names such as Mike Stern, a sideman with Miles in the ‘80’s, perform for a $10-15 cover. Again, expect a full house.

Lenox Lounge (288 Lenox Ave / Malcolm X Blvd. between 124th & 125th streets, 212-427-0253 ) Harlem’s most famous small club has been renovated back to its original art deco look. Every Wednesday  Nathan & Max Lucas Organ Trio perform 6:30 – 11 pm with No Cover (2 drink minimum) and every Thursday is Blues and R&B night with a $5.00 cover plus 2 drink minimum. 8 pm – midnight .

Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia St) is another Village jazz institution. A little more upscale than Arthur’s or the 55, the cover ranges from $6-10 for jazz performances.

Smalls (103 W. 10th st. at 7t Ave) and the Fat Cat (75 Christopher St at 7th Ave). These West Greenwich Village clubs share a  booking policy that features up and coming musicians at lower than usual cover changes. Performances start at 8 &10pm most nights. The Fat Cat has late night jam sessions starting at 1:30 am (every night) that go until the early morning. Small's also has late night jam sessions on weekends.