Bill's Place

Description:

• Imagine hearing great live jazz in your living room. That's about as close as what you will experience at the intimate and special Bill's Place. Bill is Bill Saxton, a jazz saxophonist extraordinaire and a Harlem legend. Saxton was a Friday night regular for many years at St. Nick's Pub and has played at clubs all over Harlem and downtown. In late 2005 he opened his own club in the parlor level of a brownstone on West 133rd Street. In the 1920s, 133rd Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenue, with a number of speakeasies and jazz joints up and down the block, was the original "swing street"; a 17-year-old Billie Holliday was discovered singing in a club on 133rd Street, and the block was the model that West 52nd emulated and tried to imitate in the 1940s and 1950s. So it's appropriate that Saxton's place is on this historic block -- jazz here is the real deal. There are no frills at Bill's Place: Come into the parlor, find a seat -- there aren't many, so reservations are a must -- and groove to Saxton's quartet. Alcohol is not served, but soft drinks are available and you can bring your own bottle.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009
•  Highly Recommended 2010