Jazz clubs. They are about as New York as it comes (well, if you don't count New Orleans). But have you every actually step foot in one? If you have, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, you owe it to yourself to tap your toes and sip a glass of wine at one of the city's musical gems.
My friend invited me along to the speakeasy-like Smalls Jazz Club, tucked into a basement space on West 10th Street, for their free Tuesday night show. I honestly went in with no expectations. I'm not ashamed to admit that I never liked (or thought I liked) jazz because I associated it with old people. I don't exactly know where that came from, and yes, older people do seemingly like jazz, but I digress.
When we walked in, a trio comprised of the piano, guitar and bass were playing upbeat tunes and taking turns showing off crazy skill with their solos. I know practically nothing about music theory or "why" music is "good," but it sure as heck sounded amazing. We grabbed seats a few rows from the front and had fun watching the cat (I'm told her name is Mina) sleep on the piano with intermittent breaks for cleaning herself.
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| Mina (Photo Courtesy Rachel Reed) |
The music was so good that we decided to stay for the paid show at 9:30. Good thing we did too! For only $20, we got an intimate concert with the Scott Hamilton quartet, a pretty big deal in the jazz world (or so the Internet tells me).
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| Scott Hamilton Quartet |
