Les Paul, the Iridium Jazz Club, 8 PM and 10 PM every Monday.
Yes, that's Les Paul, the inventor of the only guitar worth playing. He plays two jazz sets each night in a basement bar at 55th & Broadway. It's $40 with a $10 minimum. I sat with a guy who is a charter jet pilot. Les and "his trio" - a rhythm guitarist, bass, and piano, played a 1:15 set that consisted of jazz standards like Tennessee Waltz, Blue Skies, That's Entertainment, etc.
His playing was good, not perfect, but usually beautiful, with all the great qualities of the Les Paul guitar - lots of sustain, and the beautiful warm tone that fills the room with happiness and light. This is a must see. I forgot my camera, but here is a picture I found on the web:
http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/les.shtmlJim Caruso's Cast Party, Birdland Jazz Club, most Mondays 10 PM - 1 AM
This is described as an "open mic night for Broadway". When I got to 42nd street, it was about 5 minutes before 10. It was pretty dark outside the club, and no one was walking in. I almost didn't go in. I walked into the club not really knowing what to expect, and found a room full of happy people, many in evening attire. $10 cover, $10 minimum.
Since I was alone, I just sat at the bar. The show started almost immediately. There was a long line of VERY good performers. Some had shows on broadway, many had shows around the city. Some performed covers, some showed up with their own originals to try on the audience. There was an amazing house band (keyboards/upright bass) Typical open mike stuff, except for the extreme level of the performances. Probably the most famous person there was Jazz legend Phoebe Snow. She came up and belted one out that totally rocked the house.
Here's a picture I found of a previous appearance by Phoebe:
http://www.castpartynyc.com/
Most of the people there were regulars, and everyone was very friendly. You can check out http://funnyjazzchick.com/ where one of the performers, Joan Crowe, posts videos of her performances. She's pretty funny.
This is described as an "open mic night for Broadway". When I got to 42nd street, it was about 5 minutes before 10. It was pretty dark outside the club, and no one was walking in. I almost didn't go in. I walked into the club not really knowing what to expect, and found a room full of happy people, many in evening attire. $10 cover, $10 minimum.
Since I was alone, I just sat at the bar. The show started almost immediately. There was a long line of VERY good performers. Some had shows on broadway, many had shows around the city. Some performed covers, some showed up with their own originals to try on the audience. There was an amazing house band (keyboards/upright bass) Typical open mike stuff, except for the extreme level of the performances. Probably the most famous person there was Jazz legend Phoebe Snow. She came up and belted one out that totally rocked the house.
Here's a picture I found of a previous appearance by Phoebe:
http://www.castpartynyc.com/ Most of the people there were regulars, and everyone was very friendly. You can check out http://funnyjazzchick.com/ where one of the performers, Joan Crowe, posts videos of her performances. She's pretty funny.
