Kicking Back With Jersey Joe: I Heart Harlem (Jazz Clubs)
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a blogumn by Jersey Joe
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never visited any of the streets above the 100’s in New York City. The opportunity came when I was invited to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a jazz tour of Harlem. I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I had stereotypes of what that neighborhood is like. I’ve seen the negative news reports on crime and drug busts. But, I have to say looking back on the evening; it was a truly great time. I am going to share with you my experience and maybe you can consider it the next time you’re looking for a different type of fun in New York City.
Unknown to me at the time, our birthday boy’s wife had planned this all as a surprise and had hired Gordon Polatnick from bigapplejazz.com, a tour guide and Harlem jazz clubs expert . Gordon is a middle 40’s white man who doesn’t look like he belongs in Harlem, but he knew exactly where to go, what to do to, and how to get there. He had spoken with our group’s organizer earlier in the week to set up a so called itinerary. His fee of $300 ($75 an hour for 4 hours) got you his services, which helped get your group around, get into the different clubs, and in some cases get seats and even food!
We took the uptown A train and started at the American Legion on W. 132nd Street. This is your standard American Legion club; however they have a small stage setup in the front with a large patio in the rear. The music was definitely great and the club had a laid back atmosphere. A long wooden bar was off to the side in the main room and served your drinks out of those little booze bottles like you get on airlines at around $4 to $5 a piece. There was also a large kitchen that wasn’t open, which was unfortunate, because we had been planning on eating there.
The patio in the back was absolutely great for groups. It was a gorgeous night outside and you could certainly hear the music. You couldn’t see the stage from the back, but it was the perfect atmosphere for conversation. The patio was surrounded by low rise buildings, so we were looking up at people’s windows. There was a roof on part of the patio, but we were smack in the middle of a neighborhood block. I’m sure a large party back there would drive the neighbor’s nuts. We eventually moved inside, so we could see the band and enjoy a few sets. These guys were not an organized band, but members of the Legion who show up and jam. They even invited people from the audience to play with them.
The people inside were also extremely friendly. They would offer an extra set at their table if you were forced to stand and I found it very easy to strike up a conversation with them. The only thing they asked of you was to sign the guest book. This was an American Legion after all. I’m not sure if our guide was a member, but he was our ticket in.
After leaving the legion, we piled into a few local cabs (not the typical NY yellow ones – it was a $7 fare) and Gordon led us to St. Nick’s Pub on 149th Street. This place is well known for it’s jazz music.
Gordon knew many of the staff there, and James the cook (pictured below) actually came out and asked if we were planning on eating. My first thought upon walking in was that they raided the K-mart After Christmas Sale. There were all different kinds of Christmas lights stung back and forth throughout the entire place.
After standing for just a bit our group was able to take over a group of tables in front of the stage. There aren’t many tables in here, so you need to arrive early if you want a seat, especially if you are planning on eating. The first set begins around 7, so I definitely plan to get there before then if you want to sit and eat.
After being seated, the band was cranking up another set. The players here were again, a group of locals and they rocked! I did not recognize any of the songs they were playing, but I didn’t have to. The performers were spot on. The different sets included a mix of what looked like improvised jazz music, a female vocalist, an original piece written by a twenty something club worker who told us he would be moving back to Chicago soon, and some original poetry readings while the band took their break. The music was great, but the poetry was out of place and a bit too much. I know he’s an artist, and the band was taking a break, but put a record on or something. Also, the political commentary the poetry was taking on, really seemed to be a downer to the audience. It literally brought a rocking evening to a screeching halt.
After the unnecessary poetry reading the band cranked up again and the place was cooking… literally. It was time to eat. For $10, the meal featured fried chicken, sweet potato fries, rice and beans, collard greens, and a piece of red velvet cake, all served on Styrofoam plates. The food was surprisingly really good. The cook is located to the right of the stage with steaming trays where he piles up the food and then microwaves it. It arrived to out table piping hot and was really tasty. I’ve never had collard greens in my life, so I guess there’s a first time for everything.
The collard greens were a mix of green vegetables, pickled in brine, then heated with butter and hot sauce. Truly great. I will definitely have this dish again!
After the main course, the cook came back around and served up a piece of microwaved red velvet cake. The finger size piece fits right in my hand and was gone in about three or four bites, but it was still good. If you’ve ever baked one of those microwave cakes without the frosting, then this is it.
Everything here was cash. They dis not accept credit cards. But it wasn’t expensive at all and it’s definitely worth checking out.
After dinner and a few more sets, Gordon led our group a few steps away to Harlem Tap, a private tap dance joint. There was no name on the door, and once inside, we entered a small space about the size of a living room, covered with mirrors and a bunch of drums are all over the floor. A dancer stepped up on the large box in the center of the room and began to jam with the music that was blaring from speakers connected to some sort of control box in the front corner. (an Ipod maybe? It was too dark to tell.) Guests were invited to drum along and even get up on stage and tap as one member of our party did. I did not, but I did play the drums. I spent many years playing them in school, so I figured I’d put some of what I learned to good use.
I also loved that for some reason, they had an ancient 10 inch television in the corner playing 70’s movies. The sound was not up and I didn’t recognize the movie, but it gave me the feeling that I was actually in 1970s era New York.
There was a $5 cover charge and the DJ walked around taking everyone’s drink orders. Underneath the soundboard there was a small refrigerator, where he kept the beverages he served. This was truly like being in someone’s house to point that I think it actually might have been someone’s home. Each drink was $5 and there was a metal box on the floor to place your cover and drink payment.
Again, this was like being inside someone’s house. You would have never found it without a tour guide. Speaking of our guide, he stayed for a brief time while we were inside, but his four hours were up and he was off. So, for his time he made a few hundred bucks. There are many websites offering similar tours, just do a simple Google search, that’s what our group did.
After we had our fill of the drum beats, it was time for one last stop. We cabbed it down to a classic Harlem lounge, Showman’s on West 125th St. A very classy joint, this rectangular club had a band dressed in tuxes playing at the very front. And the back of the bar featured lit up pictures of major jazz musicians such as BB King and Lena Horne. There was also a large top hat etched into a glass mirror. The entire place was an explosion of sea foam green. The lights, the carpet, the walls, the bar. There were two drink minimum and each drink was around $5. After listening to the band and enjoying some free pretzels, we called it a night.
I never felt terribly unsafe while visiting the area. I’ve seen horror stories on the news, but doesn’t every city have their troubles? We were in a large group and being led by a guide, so we were fine. We didn’t necessarily fit in with the residents there, but what I found in the clubs was a general mix of tourists and locals. We did pass a few sketchy blocks, including one with a bunch of guys sitting in front of a run down house smoking up.
With all of that being said, I definitely recommend visiting Harlem for a great evening of jazz. Make plans ahead of time and get a small group together and you’ll be fine. Know where you are going and take a map with directions if you’re not going to use a guide. Taxi service was fairly easy and there are numerous stops on the A subway line. Just remember as the evening gets later, it’s harder to get a taxi and the wait for the subway train can be long.
THE 411:
THE HARLEM JAZZ TOUR
Location: Harlem, Upper West Side, New York City
Average Cost: most bar drinks are around $5. You will need to tip and extra cost for taxi or subway ride there.
THE RUNDOWN:
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: You should definitely give this a try for a good evening of music and a different type of New York experience. Most tourists head to Times Square and most locals go elsewhere. Definitely give a night in Harlem a try. Just do your research ahead of time and either pay for a guide, or make plans to know which clubs you want to visit and how to get there. Our entire group loved it!
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