Jazz Clubs NYC

55 Bar 55 Christopher St. (btwn. 7th Ave. So. & Waverly Place) 212-929-9883
Leni and Mike Stern hold court, also Sweet Georgia Brown, Billy Bang and Wayne Krantz. $3 cover and 2 drink min. Weeknight shows begin at 9:30 pm. Early show Friday and Saturday are from 6:00 - 9:30 pm. Friday and Saturday late shows begin at 10:00 pm. Get there early because the club is small and Mike Stern et al packs them in. Expect a $15 cover on Mike Stern nights, but that includes 2 drinks.
American Museum of Natural History On 81st St. off Central Park West (Hayden Planetarium) (212) 769-5100
Fridays under The Sphere at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Others will know it as the Hadyn Planetarium. There are two sets weekly (5:45 / 7:15 PM) by highly regarded musicians such as Jimmy Heath, Lou Donaldson, Steve Turre, and David "Fathead" Newman and their quartets. The show admission is included with museum price (suggested donation), and drinks and tapas are available. This is the early Friday show to make, especially if you haven't been to the complex before -- it will surely impress even the most jaded.
Arthur's Tavern 57 Grove St. (N.W. corner of Grove and 7th Ave. South at Sheridan Square) 212-675-6879
Since 1937. Longest continually run jazz club in NYC. No cover charge. Jazz: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Dixieland jazz: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Blues and R&B from 9 p.m. - 3 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Sunday and Monday. The Creole Cooking Jazz Band, Grove Street Stompers and Sweet Georgia Brown have been playing here weekly forever, and for good reason: they rock the house.
Birdland 315 West 44th Street (btwn. 8th and 9th) 212-581-3080
All show times: 9:00 and 11:00 P.M. (with early 5:30 tribute sets added to the Mon., Tues. and Fri. schedules). Music charge varies, $20-35. There is a $10 food/drink minimum per person at the tables. At the bar, the music charge includes one drink. Sundays belong to Arturo O'Farrill’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band, Mondays have been reserved for the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin for the later sets, and now every Monday from 5:30 - 7:30pm - The Art Blakey Jazz Messenger's Revue perform. Tuesdays typically go to The Famous Duke Ellington Orchestra directed by Paul Mercer Ellington with early sets at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. showcasing David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band. From Wednesday - Saturday expect the best in local and internationally touring artists. Just added: Every Friday from 5:30 - 7:30pm - Lew Anderson's All American Big Band. All will enjoy the excellent sightlines to the stage.
Blue Note 131 W. 3rd St (btwn. 6th Ave. & MacDougal St.) (212) 475-8592
Opened in 1981, the Blue Note is arguably the world's most popular jazz club. World renown talent take the stage for six day runs, with Mondays usually reserved for excellent local talent. Two sets are 9:00 and 11:30. Prices are $35 for table reservations + minimum, or $25 cover at the bar. There is $5.00 cover charge for the Friday and Saturday late night jam sessions. Sunday brunch served Noon - 6 PM. Show times at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM.
Blue Water Grill 31 Union Square West (Corner West 16th St.) (212) 675-9500
Fine restaurant with live jazz booked for downstairs dining area. Call for reservations. No cover, but meals are high end. Website does not mention who's playing, indicating that the jazz is an afterthought. That is, they don't book musicians who are in a position to complain if the audience noise level starts to peak. Call for performance calendar.
Cafe Creole 99 McDougal St. (btwn. W. 3rd & Bleecker) (212) 475-4132
A new addition to the McDougal Street music scene with Cajun and Caribbean cuisine and jazz served up Tuesday thru Sunday from 6:00-2:00 and Mondays from 9-2. No cover. No website, so call for schedule.
The Cajun 129 Eighth Ave. (btwn. 16th & 17th Streets) 212-691-6174
Dixieland and swing nightly 8 - 11 as backdrop to a New Orleans dining experience. Sunday brunches and Wednesday lunches are also accompanied by live music.
Cleopatra’s Needle 2485 Broadway (btwn. 92nd & 93rd) 212-769-6969
Music from 9 pm - 4 am. No cover. $10. min. per set. Eclectic menu, big screen sports and weekly showcases, featuring Eric Lewis Trio on Mondays. And nightly open jams from 2 am - 4 am. Jazz vocalists open mic every Sunday 1 to 5 pm.