Harlem has a great jazz scene. It’s just a little hard to find. Big Apple Jazz Tours to the rescue!
Here is a definitive list of places to research when planning to hear live jazz in Harlem during 2026/2027.
This directory is being compiled by Gordon Polatnick, who has spent most of his nights since 1997 exploring New York City’s underground jazz scene in his role as the founder of Big Apple Jazz Tours.
Feel free to get in touch with Gordon if you have any questions, corrections, additions, or would like to go on a Private or Public tour through this amazing underground scene of hidden jazz haunts – some dating back to the early 20th Century! Other venues are freshly minted and have a vibrant young jazz crowd.
Al Mtu (Jazz Wednesdays at Grant’s Tomb)
Jazz frequency: Seasonal / periodic (Wednesday evening outdoor series in warm weather months when not in conflict with JazzMobile programming; not a fixed year-round venue schedule – so check FB link above for updates).
Samara Joy with Big Apple Jazz Tour guests- Sept 7, 2022 -Al Mtu – concert at Grant’s TombAddress: Grant’s Tomb area (W 122nd St & Riverside Dr. vicinity)
Contact: — Facebook
Other links: Video of this beautiful scene
Al Mtu’s Jazz Wednesdays at Grant’s Tomb
Like so many heroes of the Harlem jazz scene, Al Mtu, takes it upon himself to create a gathering of jazz lovers, dancers, and musicians to hang out and steep in the tradition. Bookending the historic JazzMobile Summerfest Wednesday schedule which goes from the beginning of July to the end of August, Al sets up a modest bandstand across from the benches just south of Grant’s Tomb at the end of Spring and beginning of Fall. Bring some food and drink, maybe a picnic blanket or lawn chair, and a $20 bill to contribute to the love bucket to keep this scene alive. The announcements are delivered on his FB page
In Fall, 2022, Big Apple Jazz Tour guests were treated to a casual concert by Samara Joy just months before she was catapulted to the world stage with multiple Grammy wins beginning that February.
American Legion Post #398 (Brig. Gen. Charles Young Post)
Jazz frequency: Only on Sunday nights from 6pm-10pm – use the downstairs door to enter, and don’t forget to sign the book.
Greg Lewis AKA Organ Monk / Frank Lacy sitting in on French Horn / Russell Carter – DrumsAddress: 248 W 132nd St, Downstairs, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 283-9701
Other links: James Carter/Frank Lacy/Greg Lewis/Russell Carter YouTube
The Post: A Harlem Sunday night tradition for 30-years:
Tucked into a classic Harlem brownstone block, Post #398 is one of the neighborhood’s most soulful rooms for live jazz. Started by George Benson’s 1960’s running mate, organist, Seleno Clarke, in the late-90’s, this Sunday session (6PM-10PM) is the current standard bearer of old-school Harlem soul jazz. (Soul Jazz History Lesson: In the mid-50’s Hammond B-3 organ giant, Jimmy Smith, introduced the sound that would dominate the Harlem lounge scene for decades, by adding guitar, drums and sax. Harlem no longer has organ lounges, but they have the Post). They no longer serve food at the Post, but the drinks are still the cheapest on the planet, and you must bring $10 cash to enter, and spend another $15 cash on drinks; and save a $20 for the band – led by Seleno’s Harlem Groove Band alum, David Lee Jones on sax/flute. A jam session starts during the second set and goes till 10PM. Excellent mix of locals, visitors, and talent.
Bessie’s Place Clubhouse
Jazz frequency: Regular jazz jams as of Feb 2026. 3rd Saturdays, 8pm-11pm thru May 2026
Address: 458 W 145th St, New York, NY 10031
Contact: — bessiesplacenyc@gmail.com
Other links: Instagram (updates)
Old School/New School
This beautiful spot on 145th Street near Convent has hosted a string of jazz venues where I once saw Wynton Marsalis perform to a sold out audience of 25 lucky souls in the Sugar Hill Cafe days. Then I believe it was taken over by Mo’Bays, who utilized all three floors; and in this incarnation the jazz has been happening in the back room on the second floor. A one-drink minimum / no cover / tip the band. Check link in name for current schedule.
Example of programming from the past: Jam Session is underway every 3rd Saturday with Michael Young’s Soul Guard band hosting a night of local heroes who have been keeping the flame lit for generations throughout Harlem. Get there between March and May 2026 to show your love and help keep it lit for generations to come. 8PM – 11PM
Bill’s Place
Jazz frequency: Two regular weekly jazz sets every Friday and Saturday (7pm and 9:30pm)
Address: 148 W 133rd St, New York, NY 10030
Contact via form
Other links: Instagram
Historical Gold Mine:
When Bill Saxton fixed up the neglected residential space that would become his legacy night spot on the original Swing Street, he tapped into a seminal part of Harlem jazz history. At this same address chicken and waffles was invented by Tillie Fripp when 148 West 133rd Street was called Tillie’s Chicken Shack; Slim and Slam debuted their hit song, Flat Foot Floogie with the Floy Floy there; and in 1933 at the end of Prohibition, Billie Holiday was spotted by John Hammond decades before he later spotted Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklyn, and Bruce Springsteen – signing them all to deals with Columbia Records. For 20 years, Bill Saxton has been holding court playing his deeply rooted hard bop sax with the Harlem All-Stars for adoring fans every weekend as up close and as personal as a club can get. “Bring your own brown bag,” and $38 cover to join in that rich tradition.
Bird in Hand
Jazz frequency: Thursdays = “Live Music Thursdays” (jazz appears in rotation certain times of the year; not guaranteed jazz-only weekly). 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Address: 3569 Broadway, New York, NY 10031
Phone: (845) 669-7371
Other links: Events | Instagram
If you’re in the neighborhood…
This is a well-appointed friendly neighborhood pub which is dipping its toe in the uptown jazz scene from time to time, so go on in on a Thursday and it may be a hot jazz jam going on with some talented young blowers. At any rate, let them know you’d like more jazz and I bet they’ll book more jazz bands when enough people show their support. No cover. Tips and minimum support. Thursday: 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM.
CCNY Campus – Aaron Davis Hall and Harlem Stage’s Gatehouse
Jazz frequency: Periodic / Seasonal (Arts schedule – jazz programming included)
Address: ADH: 138 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031
Phone: (212) 650-6900
Address: Harlem Stage’s Gatehouse: 150 Convent Ave, New York, NY, 10031
Phone: (212) 281-9240
Other links: ADH Ticket info
CCNY is City College of New York, an historic and beautiful campus of stunning buildings dating back to the middle 1800’s. Check the links for updated schedule of events.
The Corner Lounge Bistro
Jazz frequency: Weekly Wednesday and Saturday Jazz Nights + Jams (Instagram has schedule updates)
Address: 32 E 130th St, New York, NY 10037
Phone: (917) 409-0555
Other links: Instagram
Samara brings the Joy
This is the intimate East Harlem restaurant that the fabulous, Samara Joy books and often gigs at, showcasing the younger set of jazz talent deserving of greater attention. Come prepared to tip the band and spend a minimum of $40+ in food and drinks. Bring your instrument if you want to blow.
The Craftsman
Jazz frequency: Sundays at 8:30pm; and also Tuesdays 7–9pm
Address: 3155 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 933-0602
Other links: Instagram
Columbia University area pub with a kicking young jazz scene on Sunday and Tuesday nights. Come to watch or join the jam. No cover, pubby atmosphere. Tip the band, buy some grub and drinks. Informal, youthful, relaxed, fun.
Harlem Tavern
Jazz frequency: Regular live music during Sunday Brunch
Address: 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026
Phone: (212) 866-4500
Other links: Instagram
Beer Garden Jazz Brunch
Harlem’s long-running beer garden/sports bar/restaurant provides weekend jazz talent of neighborhood greats to entertain the brunch crowd.
Jazzmobile
Jazz frequency: Summerfest: July and August in Harlem and beyond. Plus other jazz shows all year.
Arcoiris Sandoval – keys; Mimi Jones – bass. Richard Rodgers Amphitheater – Marcus Garvey Park. 2025
Address: Marcus Garvey Park – Summer Fridays; Grants Tomb – Summer Wednesdays
Phone: (212) 866-4900
Other links: Facebook
Best Kept Secret in NYC
One of the best kept secrets for over 60 years. Well-attended every summer by people in the know, but given the caliber of musicians who have graced the historic mobile stage for these free neighborhood street concerts, you’d be right to expect difficulty finding seats at the current park concerts every summer Wednesday and Friday in Harlem. Check schedule for periodic year-round indoor jazz shows, as well as the steady as clockwork Summerfest events at Grants Tomb and the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. Pro tip: Bring a lawn chair to Grants Tomb shows. Contribute $20 cash when the “love bucket” comes your way to help maintain this amazing NYC tradition.
Langston Hughes House
Jazz frequency: Occasional jazz/spoken-word programs (event-based; not weekly)
Address: 20 E 127th St, New York, NY 10035
Phone: —
Other links: —
Harlem Renaissance Lives
The house where Harlem Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes, lived for the last 20 years of his life (1947-1967) is sometimes used to host special events, and there’s no more authentic tie to that period’s legacy than the Langston Hughes House. It’s a landmarked brownstone from the 1860’s on a quiet East Harlem block which is co-named for Hughes. Adjacent co-named streets celebrate writer, James Baldwin, and photographer, Art Kane (who famously took the 1958 Jazz Portrait known as A Great Day in Harlem – immortalizing the gathering of 57 jazz giants on the stoop of a brownstone just like the Langston Hughes House).
L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar
Jazz frequency: Sundays 5:30–6:30pm (free jazz concert series)
Address: 142 Hamilton Pl, New York, NY 10031
Phone: (646) 858-0312
Other links: Music page | Instagram
Sugar Hill Gem on Johnny Hartman Plaza
You may come for the Sunday early evening jazz sets by local duos and trios, but you’ll be back for the outstanding Sugar Hill ambiance, food and wine. Coziest venue in town – reservations recommended. On nice summer evenings music may move outside to Johnny Hartman Plaza.
Lucille’s Coffee & Cocktails
Jazz frequency: Regular live music Thursday-Saturday (Jazz/R&B. Confirm schedule via venue calendar on Instagram)
Address: 26 Macombs Pl, New York, NY 10039
Phone: (646) 370-4260
Other links: Instagram
Jazz and Pizza and Discovery
This lovely uptown gem offers 3 nights of live music followed by a jam session starting after 10pm. First sets are at 8pm. The cuisine is mainly Italian and they specialize in personal sized gourmet pizzas. The talent comes from the wonderful college jazz programs often featuring Juilliard and Manhattan School of music students and grads playing a range of straight-ahead and R&B, and sometimes they even play out. $30 minimum spend, and reservations are encouraged, but you may get lucky and be able to find a bar stool as you discover the next Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley. (Saniyyah and Aris)!
Minton’s Playhouse
Jazz frequency: Landmarked but closed until further notice. Shuttered in 2025.
Mayor-elect Eric Adams pays a visit to Minton’s
Address: 206 W 118th St, New York, NY 10026
Phone: (212) 243-2222
Other links: Facebook
Knocked down but not out!
Everyone knows that Minton’s Playhouse is the most important jazz club in the history of modern jazz. It has been shuttered as much as it’s been swinging since opening in this location in 1938. Fingers crossed that this landmark venue that ushered in bebop with the likes of Monk, Diz, Miles and Bird will reopen again soon. Been closed since April 2025
NAMA (New Amsterdam Musical Association)
Jazz frequency: 7PM -11PM Monday night jam + 9PM – 1AM Wednesday Lions Den series
Address: 107 W 130th St, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 281-1350
Other links: Events | Instagram | Facebook
Another Best Kept Secret :
When a jazz space has been evolving for over 100-years, it’s worth our attention. Much in the same way that Harlem has been evolving since the Prohibition and Harlem Renaissance eras when it received first fame, NAMA has a parallel timeline and almost none of the fame. The brownstone where it has existed since the nation’s first Black musicians union, New Amsterdam Musical Association, bought the property in 1922, is currently home to two of the most authentic community jam sessions the city has to offer. Monday and Wednesday nights, $5 and $10 donations respectively, is the minimum entry fee, and you don’t have to be a performer to attend, but a majority of the room typically do share a song or a solo.
NJMH (National Jazz Museum in Harlem)
Jazz frequency: Thursday afternoon Jazz Foundation of America programmed jazz events and monthly last Monday evening jam sessions. Other frequent events (varies by month; check calendar)
Address: 58 W 129th St, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 348-8300
Other links: Instagram
Day and Night
The little museum that keeps the lights on through a fairly dim current period in the Harlem jazz scene. Check out their special programming including Thursday afternoon at 2pm sessions, and monthly last Monday night jams 6-8:30pm. Plan on donating generously to help NJMH keep Harlem’s jazz light shining bright.
Parlor Entertainment (Marjorie Eliot’s)
Jazz frequency: Every Sunday (weekly parlor concert from 3:30pm-5:30pm) Check FaceBook for less publicized Friday and Saturday afternoon recitals at 3:30pm.
Address: 555 Edgecombe Ave, Apt 3F (buzz 107), New York, NY 10032
Phone: — 212 781-6595
Other links: — Facebook , Instagram
Once in a Lifetime Jazz Experience – the keeper of the flame
I’ll only recommend one downtown venue as a must do (The Village Vanguard), and one Harlem venue (Marjorie’s apartment!). If you are reading this to make a choice any time soon, you can’t miss the opportunity to witness the miracle of Marjorie Eliot’s Parlor Entertainment, now in its 34th year of free weekly concerts. No reservations and no demanded fee, just show up by 3PM Sunday to get a decent seat. Buzz 107 at 555 Edgecombe (West 160th Street), and go straight up to the 3rd floor. Marjorie and her son Rudel are the most gracious hosts, so relax and enjoy and make a lot of noise after the solos only.
Patrick’s On the Hill
Jazz frequency: Weekly live jazz and jams on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: 1635 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10031
Phone: (646) 682-7243
Other links: Facebook
A relaxed Jamaican hang on Sugar Hill
The jerk chicken from the Jamaican kitchen is the biggest draw most nights of the week, but on Friday and Saturday, when Harlem legends like Patience Higgins, Michael Howell, Pucci Amanda Jhones, hit, it’s all about the neighborhood tradition of jazz camaraderie that people are starving for. Patrick’s On the Hill serves it up weekly on Friday 7:30-10:30 and Saturdays 7-10. Bring cash for the tip jar and come hungry!
Plowshares Coffee (Harlem)
Jazz frequency: Sundays 2:00–4:30pm (“Sunday Sessions”)
Address: 1351 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 222-0280
info@plowsharescoffee.com
Other links: — Instagram
Chill Day Jazz every Sunday
Every Sunday from 2:00–4:30 at this fine coffee roasters paradise. Great players with superb pedigrees and also up and comers gather each week for a wonderful session at Plowshares.
Red Rooster Harlem
Jazz frequency: 7 days a week music schedule (jazz nights vary; confirm on music schedule)
Address: 310 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 792-9001
Other links: Music schedule | Instagram
The Harlem Standard Bearer
If it’s good enough for Barack and Michelle…The Red Rooster hip and fine dining restaurant of Marcus Samuelsson has been in the neighborhood since 2010 and recently they instituted nightly music programming from 7PM to 10PM on their beautiful new stage. Look for Harlem Hammond Organ legend Nate Lucas and his All-Stars all day Sunday, and a variety of genres presented throughout the week – jazz usually on Tuesdays. $10-$15 non-refundable cover charge taken at reservation.
The Row House
Jazz frequency: Sunday jazz brunch.
Address: 2128 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026
Phone: (212) 256-0019
Other links: Events | Instagram
Local Hang with Patience
People love a good jazz brunch, and there is one tucked inside this nice 8th Ave roomy restaurant and bar. Come hear a chill set led by Harlem legend, tenor saxist, Patience Higgins, who is always in fine form.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Jazz frequency: Annual/seasonal jazz programs + occasional concerts (e.g., Women’s Jazz Festival; check events)
Address: 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037
Phone: (NYPL routing; varies by department)
Other links: Events
Your blurb:
[YOUR BLURB]
Shrine
Jazz frequency: Regular live music (jazz appears among genres; confirm via calendar)
Address: 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10030
Phone: (212) 690-7807
Other links: Calendar | Instagram | Facebook
Your blurb:
[YOUR BLURB]
Silvana
Jazz frequency: Regular live music (jazz nights vary; confirm via calendar)
Address: 300 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026
Phone: (646) 692-4935
Other links: Calendar | Instagram | Facebook
Your blurb:
[YOUR BLURB]
SMOKE Jazz & Supper Club
Jazz frequency: Wednesday–Sunday (published)
Address: 2751 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (212) 864-6662
Other links: Instagram
Your blurb:
[YOUR BLURB]
Sugar Monk
Jazz frequency: Regular live music (jazz nights vary; confirm via IG/site)
Address: 2292 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (917) 409-0028
Other links: Instagram
Your blurb:
[YOUR BLURB]
The Victoria
Jazz frequency: Jazz/R&B blends on Thursday and Friday.
Address: 233 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
Phone: —
Other links: —
Hidden in plain sight on 125th Street
Their 5th floor lounge shows add atmosphere to the lobby bar and dining scene. See great local heroes like Nate Lucas on Thursdays and Rakiem Walker on Fridays playing a blend of soul and jazz. No cover. Tips are welcome.