Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Birdland
Center
Blue Note
Right
Iridium Jazz Club
Music Venues
Blue Note
Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole,
and Ray Charles have all played
this Greenwich Village venue. The
emphasis is on jazz, but blues,
Latin, R&B, soul, and big band
also feature.
d
131 West 3rd Street,
between MacDougal St & 6th Av
•
Map
N3
•
Open 7pm-2am Sun-Thu, 7pm-4am
Fri & Sat
•
Admission & cover charge
Beacon Theatre
Name the stars and they've
probably been on stage at the
Beacon, where the likes of Bob
Dylan, Sting, and B.B. King have
performed. The Allman Brothers
Band is a regular, and it's always
worth checking the current
schedule.
d
Broadway at 74th St
•
Map G2
•
Open 1 hour before
show
•
Admission charge
S.O.B.s
The initials stand for Sounds
of Brazil, but the music ranges
from African to reggae via soul or
jazz. The beat is contagious, and
the dance floor gets crowd-
ed. Monday is salsa night.
d
204 Varick Street at Houston St
•
Map N3
•
Opening times
vary
•
Cover charge
Village Vanguard
Since 1935, this
basement club has feat-
ured a “who's who” of
jazz. The early years were
eclectic, launching folk sing-
ers like Harry Belafonte. Since
the 1950s it has been all jazz.
d
178 7th Avenue South
•
Map M3
•
Open 8pm-late
•
Cover charge
Jazz Standard
This stylish club has
first-rate acoustics and
plays traditional to avant
garde music. The loft
restaurant, Blue Smoke, is
recommended.
d
116 East
27th St, between Park Av Sth & Lexington
Av
•
Map L4
•
Open 7pm-3am Tue-Sat
(from 6pm Sun)
•
Admission charge
Jackie McLean
at the Vanguard
Birdland
Another legend, although no
longer in the location opened by
Charlie Parker in 1949. After ups
and downs, the club is ensconced
near Times Square in new quar-
ters built in three tiers to ensure
good sightlines. The food is de-
cent, and big bands play from
Tuesday to Sunday.
d
315 West 44th
Street, between 8th & 9th avs
•
Map J2
•
Open 5pm-3am Mon-Sun
•
Cover charge
Iridium Jazz Club
A fine follow-up to a Lincoln
Center performance, Iridium has
funky decor, good food, a varied
wine list, and excellent estab-
lished and new jazz groups. The
great guitarist Les Paul plays here
Monday nights.
d
1650 Broadway at
51st St
•
Map J3
•
Open 7pm-2am Fri-Sat,
5pm-midnight Sun-Thu
•
Admission charge
For more New York entertainment venues
See pp50-51
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