For Jazz lovers, I'd think that there would be no better place than New York. I however, am not a Jazz lover so I could be wrong. I like Jazz, but I don't know so much about it--but I observe that there seems to be a jazz club or bar on every other street, and many cafes and restaurants will feature live jazz performances throughout the week. In a city where so many ambitious and talented people (and some ambitious but not so talented) go to find their big break, there is such an abundance of musicians that even students and other financially challenged people can afford to attend good music shows. From the bands that play on the subway to the venues like Carnegie Hall, New York is saturated with tunes and melodies. Back when I was a law student and lived at the International House, there was jazz every Sunday in the pub downstairs. Some of the best music schools in the world, including Julliard, have free concerts every week featuring their students.
A colleague from work is a Jazz aficionado, and reportedly can hear any jazz track and identify the song and the artist. He regularly organizes jazz events, and seems to have many connections in the New York jazz scene. Last week, he invited several of us to see Jaimeo Brown at the Jazz Standard. The Jazz Standard has a performance place in the basement, and a BBQ restaurant on the first floor. Guests can order items from the restaurant and eat downstairs. Since I had already eaten dinner, I had a chocolate cake with a glass of milk. Probably one of the better chocolate cakes that I have had, but not the best--definitely worth trying and worth ordering again. What I liked about Jaimeo Brown was that he incorporated an electric guitar and a soundboard into his songs, which don't seem to be so common in Jazz.
Over the weekend, the same colleague organized a house concert. I have been to a few of these at different locations. Somebody volunteers their apartment and everyone brings snacks and drinks to share, and an artist performs. There is a suggested donation, usually about $15 per person, to the artist(s). This last one featured a man who played the saxophone, his 14-year old son who sang and played trumpet, and another man playing...this shows how little about jazz I know--it looks like a large cello, I think it's called a bass, and he usually plucks the strings. I forgot all of their names, but apparently they are quite famous and sell out when they go on tour in Europe.
A colleague from work is a Jazz aficionado, and reportedly can hear any jazz track and identify the song and the artist. He regularly organizes jazz events, and seems to have many connections in the New York jazz scene. Last week, he invited several of us to see Jaimeo Brown at the Jazz Standard. The Jazz Standard has a performance place in the basement, and a BBQ restaurant on the first floor. Guests can order items from the restaurant and eat downstairs. Since I had already eaten dinner, I had a chocolate cake with a glass of milk. Probably one of the better chocolate cakes that I have had, but not the best--definitely worth trying and worth ordering again. What I liked about Jaimeo Brown was that he incorporated an electric guitar and a soundboard into his songs, which don't seem to be so common in Jazz.
Over the weekend, the same colleague organized a house concert. I have been to a few of these at different locations. Somebody volunteers their apartment and everyone brings snacks and drinks to share, and an artist performs. There is a suggested donation, usually about $15 per person, to the artist(s). This last one featured a man who played the saxophone, his 14-year old son who sang and played trumpet, and another man playing...this shows how little about jazz I know--it looks like a large cello, I think it's called a bass, and he usually plucks the strings. I forgot all of their names, but apparently they are quite famous and sell out when they go on tour in Europe.
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