Bill’s place is a Harlem institution steeped in history: For nearly 22 years, saxophonist and singer Bill Saxton has performed weekly shows on the ground floor of a brownstone in Central Harlem. The space was a speakeasy during Prohibition, and most notably, it’s where Billie Holiday was discovered in 1933 (and where chicken and waffles came together, thanks to a “middle owner,” Saxton says). There are two performances on Friday and Saturday nights (7pm and 9:30pm) and you’ll want to arrive early to get a seat right in front of the band; The night I visited, Bill was there, of course, playing sax, while a drummer, a double bassist, and a pianist formed the Harlem All-Stars. You get a little bit of everything here, both in terms of genre and performance: Latin, ballads, blues, music history, comedy. It’s hard not to let your mind wander as you listen to the music, imagining what it must have been like to be dancing here during the heyday of street swing. There is no food or drink service, but soft drinks are sold in advance and it is BYOB (glasses provided). Music nerds will love the Roy Hayes drums in use and the size of the space: regardless of your seat, at most you’ll be 15 feet from the stage. New Yorkers, this is a great place to take visitors beyond Midtown Manhattan.—Madison Flager, Associate Director of Commerce
The Django
Where: TriBeCa, Manhattan
Am I in New York or in a boîte in Paris? Upon entering The Django, hidden beneath the Roxy Hotel in TriBeCa, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve entered a Left Bank setting. Red curtains frame the vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, while elegant couples huddle in cozy pairs at candlelit tables. The woman next to me, dressed in plaid and an incredible pair of heels, could have stepped straight out of a Truffaut movie. The venue features two cocktail bars, an open dining space and a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system for great listening wherever you are. Waiters in white jackets discreetly take drink orders; I opted for the Smoke Show (Scotch, Amaro del Capo, apple cider, ginger, honey, lemon, topped with an Islay Scotch mist), a smoky concoction that perfectly complemented the red and gold palette of the room. Mixologist Natasha David’s elevated dinner menu and craft cocktail program mean you can easily make it through the evening. Small signs requesting silence appear everywhere as a gentle reminder that you’re here for one thing: the music. The set moves from upbeat swing to somber ballads, the musicians trading playful riffs and cheeky jokes that reveal unbeatable chemistry. The performance flows with an ease that feels like watching old friends perform. The crowd laughs, nods, completely absorbed and seems to melt into the sound. Before I knew it, the hour was up, and as I walked out into the night of SoHo, I felt like I was living in my own movie.—Pallavi Kumar, Associate Visual Director
zinc bar
Where: Greenwich Village, Manhattan
