A Serious Jazz Fan’s Dilemma – Where To Go???

In March and April of last year (2022), I commented in person and via e-mail to two highly-esteemed and frequently-recorded NYC-based musicians, an alto saxophonist and a bassist, that, straightahead/bebop Jazz-wise, I was having trouble scheduling one-night, four-set Jazz trips to NYC from Baltimore these days (which did from June 2013 thru December 2016), as compared to the frequent three-night, 12-set Jazz trips to NYC from the Bay Area 15 years ago.  Both musicians know me well as a HUGE Jazz fan!

In my e-mail message, I stated:

“… my latest NYC Jazz trip ironically didn’t include Village Vanguard (not a huge chordless trio fan), Birdland, Blue Note, or Smoke (still closed), unusual for me in the past.  However, I was still able to cobble together a great four-day itinerary, thanks to Smalls, Mezzrow, and Django.  But looking ahead at the bookings for Birdland, Blue Note, and even Village Vanguard, I don’t see many groups that excite or interest me.  By comparison, when I was doing my crazy weekend coastal jaunts (2007-13), I could easily find 8-10 groups/shows that I was really excited to see.  Of course, the Jazz venues back then included: Jazz Standard, Kitano, Sweet Rhythm, and Smoke.  Yes, times are a changing… :v) Take care!”

FYI, below is my itinerary for that trip:

NYC Jazz – March 16-19, 2022

Wednesday

  • 7:30 – Steve Slagle Quintet feat. Randy Brecker (Dizzy’s @ JALC)
  • 9:00 – Jack Wilkins Trio (Mezzrow)
  • 10:30 – Alex Claffy Quartet (Smalls)

Thursday

  • 8:00 – Highlights In Jazz – Ellington Everlasting feat. Art Baron Sextet w/Sheila Jordan (Tribeca PAC)
  • 10:30 – David Gibson Quartet (Smalls)

Friday

  • 7:00 – Ken Fowser Quintet (Django)
  • 10:00 – Akiko Tsuruga Quartet (Django)
  • 12:00 – Jon Davis Trio (Mezzrow)

Saturday

  • 7:00 – Pat Bianchi Trio (Django)
  • 9:00 – Ben Paterson Trio (Mezzrow)
  • 10:30 – Stacy Dillard Quartet (Smalls)

Of course, times change and the musicians change, but the music itself, oh, yes, the beautiful music, never changes and will always be around, thanks to written sheet music, film, recordings, and young musicians.

However, “Where to go?”, “What Jazz clubs to frequent?”, and “When to hear great straight-ahead Jazz?” remain the six million dollar questions these days, especially if you live outside NYC, still the Jazz capital of the world.

As many older Jazz musicians have stated, straightahead Jazz is “grown folks” music, not for the faint of heart.  Which is perhaps the reason why I’m so picky if/when I decide to go see a Jazz performance.  As a non-musician (I stay in my lane!), I want to see a group or individual who’s going to challenge me musically, intellectually, and creatively, as well as keep me interested.  I want to anticipate the set list (e.g., originals, standards, blues, Monk, Duke, etc.).  If I don’t already know, I’m quite interested in who’s playing in the band.  Once I see them, I think back to when and where I last saw each one play.  If a new face on the scene, I want to find out if he/she has some good chops, and if he/she brings something new to the table (band).  

I want to be taken on a musical journey.  I want to hear improvisation at its best, a solo that I’ve never heard before, and will never hear again.  I want to hear a burner (up-tempo) tune, where each musician lets it rip.  I want to hear a beautiful ballad.  I want to hear a foot-stompin’, head-nodding blues.  I want to hear a swingin’ mid-tempo tune.  I want here a nice bass solo (not during every tune).  I want to hear the other band members trading fours or eights with the drummer.

I want to hear something played during a song that makes me look at the folks at the next table over (on the same wavelength) and smile or wink.  I want to hear some great harmonies between the horns.  I want to hear the pianist play a solo tune.  I want to see if I can quickly recognize the tune within a few notes (which I usually can) in order to test my own Jazz IQ.  And I want to hear a memorable original tune, something that I’ll hum in the car on the way home.

I want to hear a not-so-familiar Jazz nugget.  I want to see/hear the horn player (trumpet, sax, trombone) blow the roof off one minute, then play a ballad solo reminiscent of Clifford Brown, Ben Webster, or J.J. Johnson the next.  I want to hear a clever new arrangement of an old Jazz standard or classic that makes your ears perk up.  I want to hear a tune performed so well that I want to buy the artist’s new CD following the set or download it from iTunes when I get home.

I want to see/hear an old Jazz master while I still can.  I want to hear an old-style ‘ballad medley’.  I want to hear a contrafact, and figure what prior tune it’s based on.  I want to hear the soloist insert familiar phrases from other Jazz standards in his/her solo.  I want to make eye contact with the musician and give a thumbs-up after a great solo.  I want to be impressed whether I’m hearing a seasoned group, or a set of musicians playing together for the first time.  I want to be “wowed” by a great trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, or big band.  

Admittedly, these specific requests are from someone who’s been into straightahead Jazz for 45 years now, has a huge album (that’s right) collection, actually used to read liner notes, has an even larger CD collection, purchased and referred to the All Music Guide to Jazz: The Experts’ Guide to the Best Jazz Recordings (All Music Guide to Jazz, 3rd Edition) as the Jazz ‘Bible’, has written 25 favorite Jazz anecdotes, has created several Ultimate Jazz playlists, and considers Jazz his No. 1 passion or hobby (or addiction :v) ).

So, if I’m not asking too much, as a ‘Jazz Super Fan’ (thanks to both Spike Wilner and All About Jazz), these are some of the specific things that I look forward to during a 75-minute set when I’m creating my itinerary for a Jazz night out on the town.

Like the Jazz cupbearers have stated in the past, this is “grown folks” music!  So, unlike other music genres, and no disrespect intended, along with very high expectations from Jazz fans and afficionados alike, can’t everybody play this stuff!!

Speaking only for the cities where I’ve lived and/or frequently visited over the past 20 years, the number of Jazz clubs that offer straightahead Jazz these days has diminished.  Years ago (late 2000s), a person who was responsible for booking groups at a very popular Jazz venue told me that if he booked straightahead Jazz (his favorite) seven days a week, he’d go out business in two weeks!  I guess the writing was in the wall…

For the sake of familiarization, below are the current local or out-of-town Jazz venues whose websites I check in advance of a trip for possibly catching some great Jazz (not including annual festivals):

Baltimore

  • Keystone Korner
  • An Die Musik
  • Caton Castle
  • Jazzway 6004

WDC

  • Blues Alley
  • Westminster Presbyterian Church (Fridays only)
  • Takoma Station (no piano)
  • Mr. Henry’s (no piano)
  • Kennedy Center (Jazz series)

Philly

  • Chris’ Jazz Café
  • South Jazz Kitchen

Bay Area

  • Yoshi’s
  • S.F. Jazz
  • Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society
  • Kuumbwa Jazz
  • Piedmont Piano Company

Detroit

  • Dirty Dog Jazz Café
  • Baker’s Keyboard Lounge
  • Cliff Bell’s
  • Bert’s
  • Blue Llama (Ann Arbor)

Chicago

  • Jazz Showcase
  • Green Mill

NYC (Manhattan)

  • Smoke
  • Dizzy’s @ JALC
  • Village Vanguard
  • Birdland
  • Blue Note
  • Smalls
  • Mezzrow
  • Cellar Dog
  • Django
  • Iridium

To be fair, many of the headliners from 15 to 20 years ago, who mentored or employed “Young Lions” in their groups, are now gone.  And club owners interested in keeping the doors open are booking ‘other’ types of music and musicians, at the expense of straightahead Jazz.

Notwithstanding, to quote the lyrics from the famous 1924 show tune, Oh, Lady Be Good, on more occasions than not these days, for the aforementioned reasons, “I’m all dressed up, no place to go.” :v(

Kenneth