Jazz, Blues, Acoustic, and R&B Venues

Most of the Jazz and Blues clubs in New York can be found in Greenwich Village. This area has long been the bastion of the jazz scene in New York with famous clubs like the Blue Note and the Village Vanguard. New York jazz fans have flocked to these clubs for years and they show no signs of slowing down.

 

Birdland
315 W. 44^th St.
(212) 581-3080

This mid-town location features up and coming artists as well as established names in Jazz. The club moved here in 1996, but the name of Birdland and jazz are synonymous. Charlie Parker played the old location and now you can see the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Duke’s 20-year old grandson Paul Mercer Ellington. They play Tuesday’s when not on tour.

Blue Note
131 W. 3^rd St.
(212) 475-8592

This is the absolute peak of the New York Jazz scene. The Blue Note has hosted all the great names in Jazz and continues to bring in today’s major artists. The cover charge tends to feel like blood-letting, but it’s worth it to see your favorite musician in such an intimate setting.

Bottom Line
15 W. 4^th St.
(212) 228-7880

The Bottom Line is one of the standards on the New York Blues Scene. It helped launch the career of Bruce Springsteen among others and still features up and coming artists. The Bottom Line is not exclusively a blues club, it’s now a venue for rock, folk and anybody else they feel like hosting. Call ahead to see who’s playing.

 

Cajun
129 8^th Ave.
(212) 691-6174

This Cajun restaurant in Chelsea is becoming a popular venue for Dixieland Jazz, zydeco and other sounds from the Big Easy. The music is almost as hot and spicy as the food. Look for modern swing nights on Mondays.

Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St.
(212) 219-3055

This is one of the clubs that you will only find in New York. The Knitting factory has long been known to be on the cutting edge of new music and other art forms like spoken word and performance art. You can see a jazz great then stick around to hear a poem. The atmosphere is definitely funky and so is the clientele on most nights.

Manny's Car Wash
1558 3^rd Ave.
(212) 369-2583

Manny’s is a great blues and jazz venue that can be found in the generally mojo-less Upper East Side. There’s live music every night including New Orleans blues and Jazz, zydeco and the ever-popular jam sessions that take place on Sunday.

Smalls
183 W. 10^th St.
(212) 929-7565

This tiny (read:intimate) club is the perfect setting for some late-night Jazz. The club is open all night and gets crowded when the Village Vanguard (which is around the corner) lets out. However, don’t wait until the middle of the night to go to Small’s, you’ll miss out on the regular performers like the Peter Berstein Quartet, perhaps the best jazz band in the city.

Village Vanguard
178 7^th Ave. 
(212) 255-4037

Except for the long lines out front, the Village Vanguard still defines the quintessential jazz club experience. All the jazz greats have played here and continue to do so on a regular basis. The smoky basement club is still the best place in the city for unadulterated jazz. It’s one of the clubs that made the Big Apple, the Big Apple.

Jazz at MoMA
http://www.moma.org/docs/visiting/restaurants/index.htm#7164
Jazz at MoMA presents a diverse program featuring established musicians and emerging artists performing a variety of jazz standards, as well as original compositions reflecting the trends and vitality of the contemporary jazz scene. Live jazz is presented Friday evenings in the Garden Cafe. Sets are performed at 5:30 and 7:00. Jazz at MoMA is included in the price of Museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 4:30 to 8:15 p.m.; for further information, please call (212) 708-9491.

Other notable locations :

Red Blazer Too
32 W. 37^th St.
(212) 262-3112

Rodeo Bar
375 3^rd Ave.
(212) 683-6500

Sidewalk Bar-Restaurant
94 Ave. A
(212) 473-7373