NYC Jazz and Cabaret
Whether you’re an aficionado, or just curious, NYC is the place to hear live jazz!
The array of talent is vast, the clubs are fun (and nonsmoking!) and women can feel comfortable — alone or in groups — at just about any venue.
Cabaret is also popular — here’s your chance to enjoy something you probably don’t have “back home.”
“Cabaret” can mean a piano lounge, musician showcase, vocalists, small jazz combos, comedy, skits, as well as some more burlesque and/or avant-garde experiences.
A few swanky hotels host some of NYC’s more legendary, mainstream cabarets.
I’ve included them in the jazz club listings below: see The Oak Room at the Algonquin, Cafe Carlyle, and Feinstein’s at the Regency. So get all dressed up and enjoy a (pricey) “just like in the movies” NYC evening.
Some of the more well-known jazz and cabaret venues include:
Lower Manhattan
Blue Note One of the world’s premier jazz clubs.
Cornelia Street Café Great food, top jazz club, classic Greenwich Village neighborhood ambiance.
Jazz Gallery Cultural center in SoHo focused on emerging jazz artists.
Jazz Standard/Blue Smoke Downstairs club/upstairs barbecue restaurant.
Knitting Factory Experimental music including jazz, rock, and weird stuff.
Sweet Rhythm Formerly Sweet Basil; features eclectic roster of jazz and world music, along with poets, djs, and other artists.
Village Vanguard Legendary Greenwich Village basement jazz club mecca. All the greats have played and many have recorded here.
Zinc Bar Jazz, Latin, Brazilian, World sounds. Way cool lounge area in the back (I almost missed it) — be sure to wander back.
Midtown
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Blues, yes; also bluegrass, rock, Beatles tribute, gospel brunch, and more.
Birdland Classy, comfortable room, excellent sound, top talent. Highly recommended! Birdland Big Band every Friday night; Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra on Sundays; check website for details.
Iridium Jazz Club Attractive setting; outstanding state-of-the-art sound system; decent food and service, right in the theatre district. Les Paul every Monday (he helped design the sound system); top local and international talent.
The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel Legendary 1940’s cabaret, revived in the 80’s; launched the careers of Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, Michael Feinstein, and others. Features top-notch vocalists, focuses on the Great American Songbook.
Upper East Side/Upper West Side:
Carlyle Hotel: Bemelman’s Bar (piano lounge) and Café Carlyle, a classic cabaret featuring such stars as Eartha Kitt, Steve Tyrell, Elaine Stritch, Judy Collins, and on Monday nights, Woody Allen & the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band.
Cleopatra’s Needle Renowned jazz nightspot, free admission, $10 minimum.
Feinstein’s at the Regency Elegant cabaret supper club, talented vocalists performing American popular songs — a New York City institution.
Jazz at Lincoln Center venues (now located at Time Warner Center): The Allen Room, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and Rose Theatre. Wynton Marsalis directs the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
FOR MORE INFO: Best Websites for NYC Jazz Club Info
Find club listings, who’s playing, directions, addresses, links to each venue’s website, and more. You can also find info on many piano bars and cabarets on these sites.
bigapplejazz.com. I have a soft spot for this “labor of love” site by NYC jazz afficianado (and highly-recommended jazz tour guide) Gordon Polatnick.
gothamjazz.com provides an easy-to-search calendar.
JimsDeli.com This link takes you to a list of NYC cabaret clubs.
nyc.com Yep, this is the same site I keep recommending for all sorts of NYC info. Here I’ve given you the link to their jazz club listings. You can also search for events by date.
