Jazz near Time Square

[sejarus]

I am making a rare (3rd time in my life) visit to NYC next week. I have one day (Thur 7/21) to go hear some good jazz. I found allaboutjazz.com which tells me who's going to be where, but the names and places aren't familiar. Can someone give me suggestions for what's within a mile or so of Time Square?

[brianrost]

Iridium is only a few block from Times Square, I think that's the nearest "name" club but taxis and trains make it easy to get around.

My suggestion is go online and check out some of the clubs' web sites....you can even get advance tickets online these days. I went to NYC for four days last fall and had advance tickets for shows all four nights before I left.


Here's a page where you can search for links to NYC clubs:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/entity_search.php?t=7

Here's listings from the All About Jazz magazine for NYC for the 21st:

Thursday, July 21
�� Jazz in July: Portrait of Jim Hall with Jim Hall, Steve LaSpina,
Terry Clarke, Bill Charlap, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano,
Peter Bernstein and others
92nd Street Y 8 pm $45
�� Jazzmobile: Lou Donaldson
Lyman Place and East 169th Street 7 pm
�� Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra
Tonic 10 pm $12
�� Charles Gayle Trio with Hill Greene, Jay Rosen
Zebulon 10 pm
• Buddy Greco Iridium 8, 10 pm $27.50
�� Count Basie Orchestra Birdland 9, 11 pm $40
�� Pi Recordings Festival: Fieldwork: Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman,
Tyshawn Sorey Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $20
�� Mark Dresser; Catharine Jauniaux
The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
�� Jimmy Greene Quintet with Stefon Harris, Xavier Davis,
Vicente Archer, Eric Harland
Village Vanguard 9, 11 pm $30
�� Latin in Manhattan Festival:
The Music of Jobim, Getz and Tjader with Trio De Paz:
Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka da Fonseca with
Harry Allen, Joe Locke, Maucha Adnet
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $30
• Christos Rafalides and Manhattan Vibes with Mike Pope,
Steve Haas Dizzy’s Club 11:30 pm $10
• Edmar Casteneda Sweet Rhythm 8, 10 pm $15Thursday, July 21
• Deanna Witkowski Quartet with Donny McCaslin, Dave Ambrosio,
Vince Cherico The Kitano 8, 9:45 pm
�� Jeb Patton Trio Cleopatra’s Needle 8 pm
��Tomas Fujiwara Group with Matana Roberts, Taylor Ho Bynum,
Thomson Kneeland Via Della Pace 9 pm
��Ayana Lowe with Billy Lester, Bob Cunningham
Cornelia Street Café 6 pm $12
• Paulette McWilliams Smoke 9, 11 pm 12:30 am
• Bill Mobley Big Band; Mercedes Hall Quartet
West Bank Café 9 pm $15
• Tal Wilkenfeld 55Bar 6 pm
• Marta Gomez Jewish Museum 5 pm
• Arthur Sterling 5C Café 5 pm
• Robert Clemmings The Jazz Spot 7 pm
• Dan Stein Group Detour 9:30 pm
• Stein Brothers Quintet Kavehaz 9:30 pm
• Debbie Deane Band with Robin Macatangay, Stephan Crump,
Adrian Harpham Tea Lounge 9, 10:30 pm
• Ralph Lalama The Garage 9 pm
• Deanna Witkowski Bryant Park 3:30 pm
�� Mike LeDonne Quartet Citigroup Plaza 12:30 pm

The whole magazine is online here:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/newyork/aaj_ny_200507.pdf

[anonymous0726]

Originally Posted by sejarus

..within a mile or so of Times Square?

Why the 20 block restriction? If you'd venture out 40 blocks (another 5 minutes or so on the ACE/BDFV) you'd be in the West Village, where there are quite a few more clubs (Small's, 55 Bar, Village Vanguard, Fat Cat, Arthur's, Arturo's, Blue Note,...). About 20 minutes the other way, 50 blocks away, are Cleopatra's Needle and Smoke.

You'll want to get away from Times Square to get a decent meal (for less than $1,000), anyhoo...

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by brianrost

Thursday, July 21
�� Jazz in July: Portrait of Jim Hall with Jim Hall, Steve LaSpina,
Terry Clarke, Bill Charlap, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano,
Peter Bernstein and others
92nd Street Y 8 pm $45

Wow! I'd get a cab for that one, if I was in NY - no matter what the price!!

[Ed Fuqua]

Ray has a good point. But, given your arbitrary restriction, BIRDLAND is on 44th Street between 8th and 7th Ave, SOFIA's is not really a jazz club, but they have great duos and trios- that's 46th between 7th and 8th. BRYANT PARK is between 42nd and 43rd Streets and between 6th and 5th Ave.
KITANO is 38th St. at Park Ave.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Of course, I'd come to see you and Ray as well, but I am a big Jim Hall/Joe Lovano fan!

[anonymous0726]

Me too!

[sejarus]

I put my artificial 1-mile perimeter around Time Square for two reasons: (1) in addition to being a jazz fan, I love musical theater. I was/am hoping to be able to go to a show and also catch some music within walking distance before or after the show; (2) My midwestern upbringing is that when you go out, you drive your car and park it at meter in front of the club or in the parking lot next to it. I know it doesn't work that way in NYC, but I’m just not used to relying on cabs or subways to get me around.

I spent an hour at lunchtime checking out the clubs in the West Village, and the clubs within my 1-mile perimeter and…OMG, I had no idea! I’m not sure yet where I’m gonna try to go, but getting lists of clubs that are in different geographic areas is VERY helpful—thanks.

[anonymous0726]

You'd be amazed at how quickly the subway gets you around town. Given your 'show and gig' in one evening plan, I wouldn't count out anything in Manhattan. From the Village to Times Square is bout 5-6 minutes once you're on the train.