The cooled, air-conditioned breeze escapes into the humid air as the door to the small music store opens. Above, instruments from all over the world dangle as they decorate the ceiling. The sound of wood echoes with each step as thousands of records enclose the space. In the back left corner, there’s a section of vinyl records marked under one of the most historic genres in music: “jazz”.

Greenwich Village, located on the west side of Lower Manhattan, is rich with history. Andrew Silverstein, a New York-based writer, earnestly describes that Greenwich is, “Culturally, the most important neighborhood in the city.” An
aspect of this importance is jazz music. Jazz music is ingrained in the story of Greenwich Village. Many jazz clubs have been created from the importance of this genre. They provide live jazz performances to those coming to the establishments. Jazz has had a rough time staying popular with the increased popularity of other genres, such as hip-hop, pop, and electronic, yet these establishments have continued to thrive.

“Jazz is still very much a part of Greenwich Village,” stated Parker Otto, a 25-year old employee at the Music Inn. The Music Inn is a music shop in Greenwich Village that holds instruments from around the world. They also hold open mic nights every week, as it provides a space for artists to share their creativity. This store is famously where Billy Joel got his start by borrowing guitars to use in his
performances a couple blocks away from the store. Otto expressed that jazz is still very popular in Greenwich. There are so many spaces to indulge in the historic and creative genre, especially in Greenwich Village.

Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Arthur’s Tavern, and Cellar Dog. All of them are open in the evening and allow artists to come perform before a jazz-loving audience, but some of their history goes back much further than being spaces of current entertainment. They were creative staples in the community, bringing connections, new starts, and entertainment.

Village Vanguard, the oldest operating jazz club in Greenwich, was founded in 1935. It started as an establishment that catered to every type of performance art before focusing primarily on jazz in the mid-1950s. They created their own in-house band in 1966 called The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and they have been performing ever since. They have also been a place where jazz artists record live albums. The Village Vanguard is different from other jazz clubs in the area
because they believe that jazz music isn’t for everyone. They don’t do much promotion for themselves either. Their website doesn’t contain an “about us” section. According to Village Vanguard, they believe that, “People have to find their own way to an interest in jazz.” Although they don’t promote, they continue to have large audiences in attendance at performances ranging from young to old.

Some other notable, older jazz establishments are Blue Note and Arthur’s Tavern. Blue Note opened in 1981 with the mission of creating a space to treat artists with respect. Being a primarily jazz-centered club, they are focused on preserving the history of jazz while providing a stage for local artists to perform and get their start. Arthur’s Tavern opened years prior in 1937. Their establishment originated as a speakeasy-inspired business during the Prohibition. It wasn’t until the 1950s that they introduced live music performances. Arthur’s Tavern has provided a stage for legendary musicians such as Charlie Parker, Roy Hargrove, and Sweet Georgia Brown. Blue Note, similarly to Arthur’s Tavern, has also offered a stage for great jazz musicians, such as Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, and Sarah Vaughn. Arthur’s Tavern and Blue Note continue to be two very popular establishments in Greenwich that still have live jazz performances.

Finally, the most recently opened establishment, Cellar Dog, was opened in 2021. Cellar Dog was formerly the business of Fat Cat, a notable jazz and game hall in Greenwich Village. Due to the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the club was unable to stay in business. The building was renovated and restored to become Cellar Dog. They continue the traditions that were started by the previous business, and try to keep the same ambiance that was there prior. Live jazz performances are still put on with the original church pew seating from Fat Cat. They continue to reach a broad demographic of jazz enthusiasts that come to either watch or perform. According to Cellar Dog, they believe, “Jazz is one of the pulses of our city, the interest has always been there and it is refreshing to see the interest live on and stronger than ever since us opening.”

Jazz continues to be an ever-present force that brings the Greenwich Village community together. The numerous jazz clubs in the community help to keep that alive, while the people that attend help continue to keep the interest present. Otto explained, “This is the kind of neighborhood where all forms of music come through, and jazz is still definitely very much a part of our history.”