Blue Note

Amazing. Celebrated my nieces 21^st birthday. Usually not a fan of jazz but the artists were amazing. Will definitely return.

As an establishment, the Blue Note is akin to a Bernard Madoff financial Ponzi scheme. It has taken me more than a month to come to terms with the terrible experience my partner and I had at this venue, and just now feel capable of coherently explaining to others why they should not yield their money to the Blue Note.
I purchased two tickets (bar seating) for my partner and I to attend a Chris Botti Residency performance for December 29, 2015 at 8pm. The ticket explicitly states the following: «Seats are held until 30 minutes prior to showtime no later than 7:30PM for first show and 10PM for second show. After that seating is first come, first served. Please arrive early for the best seats.» Accordingly, we arrived at 7PM, and were one of the first customers (so we thought) to enter the venue, but upon entering, we immediately noticed that all of the seats at the bar were taken! Consequently, all who purchased bar seating tickets were asked to stand tightly together behind seated patrons, and well removed from the stage.
As I purchased the tickets as a Christmas gift to my partner, I tried my best to maintain my composure and ask the person in charge to explain why it was that seating was not available to patrons who clearly arrived early enough to obtain seats at the bar, but could not provide an explanation. Another patron, furious with the situation, exclaimed how their business was a FRAUD! Staff did not welcome this gentleman’s outspokenness. Consequently one of the managers escorted him and his date out the door, but before leaving, he advised all who were standing near the bar to demand our money back from our credit card companies and alert them of the Blue Note’s fraudulent activity.
Despite his courageous call to action, I remained resigned to see if I could use an alternative tactic to get seating for us. I approached the manager and informed him that my partner was pregnant, and could not stand throughout the performance. As she is also short, and other patrons who stood in front were well taller than her, she would not be able to see the performance. I then asked the manager how he would feel if a family member who met the criteria of arriving early for a performance, and was pregnant or had another medical condition that required being seated, but could not find a seat. The manager, unaware of my ruse, expressed some sympathy. Nevertheless, he stated that the only thing he could do was provide seating for the 10pm performance at the bar. He also stated that under no circumstances could the Blue Note provide a refund. Fortunately, due to a clean credit history, I received an immediate refund from my credit card company. For others, however, I am not certain if this can be the case.
While there might be others who believe that clients who purchase bar seating, which usually comes at a lower price than reserving tickets for table seating, should be resigned with a standing-​only policy when all seats are taken. Such is not the case at venues like Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola or the Jazz Standard. To make such an argument is to advocate for people like Bernard Madoff. Such individuals, along with the owners and managers of the Blue Note, would find good company with him doing 150 years in prison.
In brief: to attend this establishment is to be defrauded of your money and leave you with adistaste in the appreciation of the jazz genre. The Blue Note, just like all Ponzi schemes, will inevitably collapse. I highly recommend that musicians think twice before performing at this venue — to perform at such disreputable establishment brings too strong of a risk of tarnishing their reputations with the music listening public.

I love everything about this place especially the guy who works at coat check ;)

I’m conflicted on what to rate this, as there are two opposing sides to the story:
First and foremost, great jazz. We came to see MARCEO PARKER live on Friday night thanks to some free tickets, and boy did he astound. Not sure if this has a reflection on the jazz club itself though.
The club itself is very packed. We sat in the middle of two couples, at a long table, squeezed in. Of course, we quickly forgot about this after the performer started.
The drinks and appetizers we ordered were 1 star-​worthy. Pretty sure the calamari and spring rolls both came frozen and then microwaved. The drinks was fine, but not very alcoholic. We still did end up having fun though, as the performers were so great! And the club is so small that you actually get a very good view of him!

Remember the pharmaceutical ad that made you question if you exhibit the same symptoms? Well, the Blue Note is the equivalent «ad» to claustrophobia… wait, what? While I value my personal space, I’ve never felt claustrophobic until last week at the Blue Note. We went to see Chris Botti’s annual residency performance which was excellent. But we were packed in like a can of sardines: there’s no consideration to basic comfort and makes my economy seat on Delta feel like First Class. The 8 of us were given a table for 6 at most. My body and seating position in relation to others were a combination of origami and live Tetris.
Between my wife and I we had the best $ 30 meal $ 120 dollar can buy… though our server was great.
Anyone should experience the Blue Note jazz club at least once. But I think last weekend I filled my quota for the year.

W-​O-​W! The Blue Note lived up to the hype. The performances were every bit as great as I had heard they would be. In fact — better! If you want to experience world class musicians and singers up close and personal, this is the place. Intimate and cozy is the best way to describe the atmosphere (some might say crapped), but that is part of the experience. Where else are you going to have world-​renowned performers standing right in front of you and mingling with the audience? The food is just okay… but with performances like this, who cares? You don’t go for the food. You go for the show. Chris Botti is truly exceptional. His band — superb. Sy Smith, outstanding. But Caroline Campbell, who is as beautiful as she is talented, stole the show!

We’re here for 700 Chris Botti NYE show. Got here at 430 and waited for doors to open at 500. Worth the wait because we got a great table. The space with tables is really small. And yes they really cram the crowd in but it isn’t all that bad really. Since the show starts at 700, we ordered dinner. Expensive but what isn’t in this city? Roast chicken is cry good. The flourless Choco cake is great. Just enjoy the meal because in no time the show will start. Great experience Botti is a god. Nuff said. And by the way since this is a NYE nite, I’m pretty sure the place was packed with tourists.

Great show with Chris Botti! We enjoyed every minute of it. went to the 10:30 show. They say doors open at 9:45 but they only opened at 10:15. Luckily it wasn’t raining then nor brutally cold as you wait in line outside. Music started at 10:45 and went until almost 12:30.
The club is relatively large and the tables very close to each other. But all tables have a good view of the stage and performers. The sound is incredible!
The waitress was efficient. Drinks were ok, not the best. They do have food too though we didn’t order any.
Overall a great experience and great show. Will definitely be back.

Overpriced, short sets, cramped seating. Yes they book some good acts, but you are better off seeing them literally anywhere else they are playing. I saw Dave Brubeck here and they played for 45 minutes, and that was it. Shuffle everyone out to make room for the next group of suckers. The show was advertised for 8pm, which meant sit and order food or drinks for an hour, music went on at 9pm, done at 9:45, clear out to make room for the next show. They don’t give a shit because they know most of their customers are clueless tourists willing to pay any amount for that one NYC Jazz experience.

I came here a handful of times with my husband and friends. We have seen Chris Botti, Brian Mcknight, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra play at this venue.
The sound system is great! Very clear no matter where you are sitting.
They have a dinner menu and usually serve dinner before the show starts. They also have a pretty big drink/​cocktail menu so you will have options. I really appreciate that they served hot drinks as well.
The only con I have about this music venue is that they pack you like sardines but I get it. The place is not very big so you do not have to worry about getting a bad seat in the house.
I would highly recommend purchasing tickets to see Chris Botti live during the Christmas/​New Years season!

Yes, it is an old establishment in NYC and has a lot of history and vibe. The drink and food menu looked good and the shows for every other night seems to be great as well. Unfortunately we went there at a wrong night when jazz music was different from what you would expect. Little bit slower and the main artist did not amazed us with his vocal talent. Also if you decide to sit at the bar be prepared not to see all band as it is located by the entrance and kind of far. So for all your desire to get cheaper ticket it might not worth it. My recommendation would be — do your research about music and sit at the table. Enjoy NYC jazz scene!

Be warned: The Blue Note is a money-​grabbing tourist trap.
However, if you do find yourself going to a show there, for the love of God, do not pay for the «bar/​standing room» admission! It’s a total rip off.
The other night, at one of the Rebirth Brass Band shows (for $ 20 each!), my girlfriend and I were crammed into the microscopic «bar/​standing» area, 30 feet off to the right of the band, in what feels like the equivalent of steerage in a cruise ship. We were in the VERY FRONT of this area, and felt a world away from the band and completely disconnected from the experience. I can’t imagine what it was like for the people in the back! This «bar area» is pure second class citizenry and a total money grab.
The drink prices were disappointing as well. $ 9 for domestic bottled beer about sums it up.
The only reason I’m giving this place 2 stars is because they do get decent acts.

First jazz bar experience ever! And it blew my mind! The Rebirth Brass Band is very engaging and they play good jazz music.
Me and my friend already ate before coming here so we just ordered fried calamari. And it’s tasty! I’m surprised they actually used hot tomato sauce (more like a spaghetti sauce) as the dip.
Friday Saturday and Sunday nights are the best times to come here. Enjoy music with some friends and swing with the music!:))

This is as classic a Greenwich Village Jazz club you can get. Great venue to watch jazz and jazz legends alike. They serve food but beware their cocktails are priced pretty high on top of the fee to watch a performance. I say come here if you’re looking to splurge or come after hours for a cheaper but still fabulous set!

We made a «reservation» online, which means you get to stand in line with the German tourists, and everybody else that made a «reservation» and aren’t necessarily guaranteed entry, or a decent place to view the show. Insanity. They pack ‘em in here, and it’s not always for the best. My friend had her back to the stage the whole night for bassist Stanley Clarke, as we shared a table with a family of four, where the daughter, too, was upset to have her back to the stage (tucked away in the back corner).
It’s intimate, and the talent is the tops, for sure! Just wish the club stepped up the reserved seating and sightlines to match the talent (and yes, I know the history of the club, play jazz myself, know the artists that have played here, etc.).
Why not sell tix online, and actually let people who «reserve» first choose their seating, as other concert venues do? I don’t get the «system» here (there really is no system). Woe to you if you get stuck in the bar area by the front door, you probably won’t be able to see the stage at all! 2.5 stars bumping to 3 stars for just an average to poor experience, in the grand scheme of things.

The food was old and tired tasting.
The entertainment was pretty predictable and felt like it was for a tour bus crowd. The only redeeming part was that there were two women in the band.

Transported into a dream world filled with jazz and booze. Music and movement. It was hazy blue and it was beautiful.
I saw a very talented band perform. The pianist was mesmerizing, the saxophonist dreamy, the trumpet was right on point and sounded like heaven. We had no reservations and had to wait outside in line. The weather was nice, no biggie. Be back soon.

Cozy is the word realtor’s would use to describe the space you’ll occupy for a couple hours. But that is the charm of the Blue Note: not only a level of intimacy with customers packed in so tight you have to climb over the chairs to sit, but you get that same level of intimacy with some of your favorite artists.
Recently it has been Seu Jorge, Talib Kweli, and Roy Hargrove for me. I got to enjoy them up close and personal. Yeah they seemed a bit elevated, but because of the talent not the proximity. It’s a distinction you appreciate when you’re here even if you don’t notice it. Now I love the massive venue, but it tends towards the megastar who has this esprit following where everyone can recite every song, so much so that the artist is really directing the energy rather than performing. In situations like that the artist usually has a song that attempts to bridge that division, and restore the human connection.
At the Blue Note, every song has that connection so that a performance is more conversation than lecture.

Came here late on a Friday night to see Maceo Parker and it was awesome. But there are a few things you need to know to have a good experience.
One – this is place is TINY. Of course that’s the beauty of it. You’re very close to the performers. But depending on where you sit this can be annoying. There are a few tables that are on the sides of the stage where you are basically to the back of the stage which forces you to pivot your body to see anything. After an hour or so this can get very painful and your neck/​back may not like you very much. I saw the writing on the wall when my fiancé and I were seated at one of these side tables so I joined him on his side of the table vs. across from him like is customary. We were the first ones at the table so this was fine but I did kind of throw off another couple who were seated with us. Oh well! So with this in mind, get there early so you can get a primo seat. You don

We came here for Sunday brunch at 1130 and used a living social deal for $ 19. For that price its definitely worth it. Make sure you make reservations and come at 11am. It was already quite busy by the time we got there. The one downfall is that it is really packed and tight. It was a little uncomfortable how close you are to the person next to you especially when you dont know them. With the deal, you get one drink and an entrée. I got the bloody mary which was eh. The burger and fries were really really good. Now heres the problem. It was dark when my food came so i cant really go by what the plate of food looked like, but all i know is that my taste buds where happy. My friend got the shrimp and avocado sandwich and he enjoyed it too. The jazz performance was enjoyable.
I was looking at the drink menu and it looks a bit pricey if you dont have the deal. It was $ 16 just for a martini so beware of that. But for the deal price, it was a good time!

Célèbre club de jazz new yorkais, profitez de votre visite dans la Grosse Pomme pour y passer une excellente soirée en bonne compagnie. Il faut payer pour assister aux spectacles, mais les groupes sont vraiment bons. Après une journée épuisante, relaxer dans une ambiance chaleureuse en sirotant un cocktail, c’est le bonheur!

Le Blue Note est un club de Jazz New Yorkais légendaire. J’y suis venu par hasard il y a maintenant plus de 30 ans et y retourne de temps en temps depuis. Je né suis pas amateur de Jazz mais je peut l’apprécier de temps à autres. De fait, je n’ai jamais acheté mes billets d’avance pour venir ici mais j’ai toujours eu la chance d’y entrer quand même… bon je pense que j’ai quand même pas mal de chance et je né suggère pas de faire de même si vous voulez vraiment venir.
Les spectacles principaux sont de premier ordre mais si vous voulez simplement voir de quoi le Blue Note à l’air, vous pouvez venir plus tard et assister à jam de fin de soirée (vers une heure du matin), c’est alors bien moins cher et plus facile d’y entrer.

For good music on NYC !!!

Un excelente lugar para escuchar el mejor jazz mientras disfrutas de una buena cena. Muy recomendable

Man könnte sagen, es ist der beste Jazzclub der Welt. Ist es wohl auch.
Der Club ist recht klein, es gibt meist 2 Vorstellungen am Abend und man isst gewöhnlich auch etwas. Etwas gemütlicher ist somit die 2. Schicht, denn dann muss man nicht raus, wenn die nächsten kommen.
Die Musik ist fein — hier kann/​konnte man alle wirklichen Größen des Jazz sehen von Keith Jarrett über Herbie Hancock bis hin zu Elvin Jones, die man sonst gar nicht mehr sehen kann. Auch neuere Jazzgrößen wie Madeleine Peyroux und Diana Krall gibts hier! Hammer!
Man sollte im Internet vorher reservieren, vor Ort bekommt man meist nix mehr.
Ein absolutes MUSS!!!

Einer der besten Jazzclubs überhaupt .Super Atmosphäre ind wirklich geile Künstler.
Wenn ich in New York bin gönn ich mir hier immer mindestens einen Abend.
Was ein wenig schade ist man sollte reservieren und mindesten eine Stunde vorher da sein. Aber es lohnt sich

In Greenwich Village findet man DEN Jazz-​Club BLUE NOTE. Hier sind alle Größen des Jazz aufgetreten. Den seit 1981 bestehenden Club ist zum führenden in NY geworden. Hier gibt es Live-​Musik ab 20:00 Uhr. Plätze sollten im Vorfeld reserviert werden — hierfür sollte man im Internet schon mal das Programm durchschauen — bei Jazz-​Größen wie Chick Corea + Gonzalo Rubalcaba, John Scofield, Al Di Meola, Keith Jarrett und Herbie Hancock ist der Laden meistens ausgebucht.