Jazz Tours

Chandra · #1 09-11-2004, 06:27 PM

My husband and I will be visiting NYC later in the month and would like to check out some of the music scene. However, I find searching through the endless club listings to be a bit daunting - and we won't be there long enough to go to a lot of different places. I stumbled across info on jazz tours and one, 'Greenwich Village Hidden Gems' tour, really caught my attention.

I am wondering whether anyone knows whether "Jazz tours" as a genre are worth it? Does anyone know about this Greenwich Village Tour

anonymous0726 · #2 09-11-2004, 08:23 PM

The blurb that you put up didn't seem anything out of the ordinary. When it comes about time to leave, get a hold of NYC TBDB'ers and gather some advice for less-likely-to-be-listed things, and also scour the web and print listings and choose where to go based on anything that you really want to hear rather than being flumoxed by the number of listings.

FidgetStone · #3 09-11-2004, 10:30 PM

Jazz clubs with a great deal of consistant talent are the Blue Note, Iridium, the Vangard and Birdland. There are lots of others as well There are more places in the Villiage like the Gas Station.

I've only been to NY twice, but both times have been in the last five months. It's easy to go somewhere great every night.

Perhaps Ed F. and other NY players will kick in some recommendations.

You can't loose in NY City . . . .

Chandra · #4 09-14-2004, 10:06 AM

Thanks for the help. I have enlisted help from my husband, too - he is scouring while I try to get other stuff done. While I lived in NYC for 4 months a few years ago, it was before-bass for me and I knew nothing about the music scene - so I am super-excited to explore a different aspect of the city this time around.

Ed Fuqua · #5 09-14-2004, 10:21 AM

The Gas Station? Maybe you mean the Garage?

Hey Chandra, for the major club listings I would check the Voice website

www.villagevoice.com

Rather than look for clubs, I'd try to focus on who you want to hear and see who's around.

Lotta the clubs do have websites

www.birdlandjazz.com
www.smokejazz.com
http://www.fatcatjazz.com/
http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/
http://www.villagevanguard.net/

but there are a million small clubs, dives, holes-in-the-wall, restaurants etc. that have jazz, either featured or as an adjunct. Plus there are some very nice joints in the boroughs that have some great players - the Up and Over in Park Slope, Barbes (also in the Slope), Cafe 111 in CobbleHill/Brooklyn Heights, Pumpkins in downtown Brooklyn, Stinger Club in Williamsburg, etc etc etc. Lots to do, but the more specificity as to what YOU want to hear, the better we all will be able to recommend something off the beaten...

Bruce Lindfield · #6 09-14-2004, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chandra

My husband and I will be visiting NYC later in the month and would like to check out some of the music scene. However, I find searching through the endless club listings to be a bit daunting - and we won't be there long enough to go to a lot of different places. I stumbled across info on jazz tours and one, 'Greenwich Village Hidden Gems' tour, really caught my attention.

I am wondering whether anyone knows whether "Jazz tours" as a genre are worth it? Does anyone know about this Greenwich Village Tour

I'd really like to do that one day, as well - get a cheap flight over to NY, look at some basses during the day and check out a few different Jazz clubs each night. Definitely on my list for future "holidays" (vacations) - unless I'm on some kind of US "blacklist" for having played gigs to show support for Cuba!!

Chandra · #7 09-14-2004, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Rather than look for clubs, I'd try to focus on who you want to hear and see who's around.
...
Lots to do, but the more specificity as to what YOU want to hear, the better we all will be able to recommend something off the beaten...

Well - with that in mind, my husband and I had a lunch meeting to discuss - it turns out that we are quite flexible. I think we are both interested in seeing/hearing something good (of course), probably a small combo. We like a wide range of styles including: Bebop, Kansas Cit, Hard Bop, Neobop, new swing, swing (but not a bunch of tired folks revisiting tired songs - think Squirrel Nut Zippers - and, no, I don't have a problem with the "old stuff." I rather like it, but I hate hearing bands cover it with the attitude of 'here we go again....'), ragtime, Afro-Cuban, and Acid Jazz. We are also quite fond of blues stuff. We do not want to see/hear Fusion.

I am, of course, partial to anything with upright bass in it. As a newbie (only playing a bit more thana year) I am still fascinated by watching good bass players play. I have had several great opportunities here in Athens to see good players (Jazz, Bluegrass and classical) - but I am ready to see more!

We are, by the way, still Jazz novices having only been listening for a few years. So, we are really open to a variety of experiences. I am hoping someone will say 'this is THE place to go.' or 'You should really try to catch so and so.' (Especially if the place is somewhere off the beaten path - we may well end up at the Iridum, etc, but I'd like the option of a hole-in-the-wall too.

I don't know whether that helps or not. I REALLY appreciate everyone's help.