Are you a fan of Jazz and in New York City? Then there are three venues to check out during your stay: The Allen room – Jazz at Lincoln Center; the Bar Next Door; and Cleopatra’s Needle.
The Allen Room – Jazz at Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, 60th Street at Broadway. This is a wonderful new amphitheater with a soaring 50-floor glass wall that overlooks Columbus Circle and Central Park. The Allen Room is based on the design of a Greek amphitheater, and yet merges luxuriant splendor with functional accessibility. All it takes is one glance at the spectacular 50′ x 90′ wall of glass to make you know you’re in a room with one of New York City’s greatest backdrops of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The Allen Room has several mechanical tiers that makes up the fluid inner structure of the amphitheater. It offers a dramatic adaptable layout that incorporates an ingenious structure allowing for a smooth transformation from a super-club or event mode to theater mode. In the evening, car lights reflect off the glass from the street below and is coupled with sounds of jazz to provide a unique picture of New York City’s nightlife.
The Bar Next Door is a great place to hear jazz, located at 129 MacDougal St, between West 3rd and 4th Avenues. Ladies, this is where all the single men are! If you stop by this hidden treasure of a Jazz bar around 8pm for a jazz set, you’ll hit the jackpot, well only if the men shut up during a session and if they know who Charlie Parker is. The Bar Next Door is subterranean, underneath the ‘La Lanterna di Vittoria,’ which is a moody, dark bi-level Italian restaurant. The Bar Next Door is a well-kept secret and a diamond in the ruff that will only cost you an $8 cover charge and one drink (too good to be true); the Bazillion wines or the Passion Fruit Champagne Cocktail is highly recommended.
The seating is intimate due to the smallness of the room, but that only makes for a cozy concert provided by the highest-caliber jazz musicians. The weekends are jammed-packed with the Dizzy-and-dessert crowd, but the jazz enthusiast are better off coming early for a warm meal of the best, top-notch thin-crust pizza. Snagging a good table before the show starts is another good reason to come early. The Bar Next Door is open Sunday through Thursday from 6pm to 2am, Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to 3am. After listening to some great jazz, stop by next door at the ‘La Lanterna’ for some espresso.
Named after the famed monument in New York’s Central Park is ‘Cleopatra’s Needle,’ a world-renowned Upper West Side jazz nightclub. They serve up food and drinks to go along with the hot live jazz to the New York jazz community. The food served at this establishment has been featured on ‘TV Food Network.’ Their famous jam sessions attracts both the well-known stars of the jazz scene, and the up-and-coming jazz musicians as well. Cleo’s has been featured in the ‘Downbeat’ magazine as one of the ’100 Great Venues to hear jazz.’ Admission is free with a $10 minimum per person drink order per set. Happy hour is everyday from 4pm to 7:30pm. On Mondays, Eric Lewis Trio plays, on Tuesdays – Julius Tolentino and Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1am to 3:30am there are nightly jams. Open mic on Sundays from 2pm to 6pm. You’re chances are good to see top jazz giants jam late into the night. Cleo’s is the best neighborhood jazz club with the latest hours, the best food and an all around great place just to hang back and enjoy the whole atmosphere.