Cheap to moderate: Free-$25.
An intimate room that has good, fun music every night of the week. Something about this place -- maybe the velvet couches, or that it feels hidden away on the Upper West Side -- makes it a great date destination. Hard bop legends like pianist Cedar Walton often headline on weekends; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are defined by the groovy sound of the Hammond B 3 organ.
Tonic
107 Norfolk St. (between Delancey and Rivington streets)
212-358-7501
tonicnyc.com
Subway: F to Delancey
Cheap: $5-$10.
This is the most important venue for "downtown," "avant ," or otherwise unclassifiable jazz in New York. John Zorn and Marc Ribot have played here many times. More like a rock club in feel, with hand stamps and a bar that sells a lot of beer, this former industrial space is on a suitably desolate , out-of-the-way block. It is a classic hangout for hip Lower East Siders and experimental music fans.
The Stone
Avenue C at 2d Street
( no phone)
thestonenyc.com
Subway: F, V to Second Avenue
Cheap: $10 most nights.
No-frills, no refreshments, non profit space established by avant jazz giant and saxophonist John Zorn. Fans of challenging and experimental music should check the website and consider making the hike into the far East Village for this unique -- if utilitarian -- musical setting that recalls the 1970s Loft Scene.
Keep in mind Birdland
315 West 44th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues)
212-581-3080
birdlandjazz.com
Subway: A, C, or E to 42 d Street; 1, 2, or 3 to Times Square
Expensive: $20-$50 plus minimum.
This Theater District stalwart is notable for often featuring Broadway and jazz vocalists in addition to leading jazz and Latin jazz stars. David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band serves up sizzling happy hour jazz every Wednesday. Big band swing aficionados should check out David Berger's Sultans of Swing on Tuesday nights.
The Blue Note
131 West 3d St. (at Sixth Avenue)
212-475-8592
bluenote.net
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, and V to West 4th Street
Expensive: $20-$40 plus minimum.
One of the world's best-known clubs books some of the biggest names in jazz. On weekends, the Late Night Groove Series begins at 12:30 a.m. and mixes jazz and R&B for a low cover charge.
Contact David French, a freelance writer in Brooklyn, at davidfrench@mindspring.com.
