Smalls Jazz Club is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

club at 183 West 10th Street,

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, New York City. Established in 1994, it earned a reputation in the 1990s as a "hotbed for New York's jazz talent" with a "well-deserved reputation as one of the best places in the city to see rising talent in the New York jazz scene". Its jazz musicians are noted for being "talented, though largely unknown" while its music is characterized as "modern versions of

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

and

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

". The club's main room is in a basement with a capacity of 50 people that expanded to 60 people. Smalls Jazz Club should not be confused with

Smalls Paradise Smalls Paradise (often called Small's Paradise and Smalls' Paradise, and not to be confused with Smalls Jazz Club), was a nightclub in Harlem, New York City. Located in the basement of 2294 Seventh Avenue at 134th Street, it opened in 1925 and ...

in Harlem, which was founded in 1925 by Ed Smalls and closed in the 1950s.

History

Smalls Jazz Club was established in 1993 by Mitchell "Mitch" Borden, a former submariner, nurse, and teacher. Its target audience was characterized as young,

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

, and talkative. Music commenced every night at 10:30 and at times lasted until 6:00 the following morning. The entrance fee was US $10.00; no alcohol was served. Musicians who performed in the early years include Ehud Asherie,

Omer Avital Omer Avital (born May 13, 1971, Givatayim, Israel) is an Israeli-American jazz bassist, composer and bandleader. Early life Avital was born in the town of Givatayim to Moroccan and Yemeni parents. At age 11, he began his formal training, s ...

Noah Becker Noah Becker (born 1970) is an American and Canadian artist, writer, publisher of ''Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art'', and jazz saxophonist who lives and works in New York City. He is a contributing writer for ''Art in America'' Magazine, '' ...

, Peter Bernstein, Avishai Cohen,

Ari Hoenig Ari Hoenig (born November 13, 1973) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and educator. Educational materials Hoenig has taught and is on the faculty at New York University and The New School in New York. He gives clinics and lectures at music ...

Guillermo Klein Guillermo Klein (born 1969) is an Argentine pianist and composer. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1994, and throughout the 1990s held a residency at Smalls, a jazz club in New York City. Known for his highly original harmonic and ...

Jason Lindner Jason Lindner (born February 1, 1973) is an American pianist, keyboardist, synthesist, sound designer, composer, arranger and producer. Life and career Lindner was brought up in Brooklyn, New York City.Matzner, Frank A. (August 18, 2014"Jason Li ...

, Charles Owens,

Kurt Rosenwinkel Kurt Rosenwinkel (born October 28, 1970) is an American jazz guitarist, keyboardist, composer, bandleader, producer, educator and record label owner. Biography A native of Philadelphia, Rosenwinkel attended the Philadelphia High School for the ...

, Grant Stewart, Mark Turner,

Tommy Turrentine Thomas Walter Turrentine, Jr. (April 22, 1928 – May 13, 1997) was a swing and hard bop trumpeter and composer who was active between the 1940s and the 1960s. He rarely worked as a bandleader, and was known for his work as a sideman with dru ...

Richie Vitale Richie Vitale (born September 23, 1954; Rochester, New York) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer. Performances Vitale played trumpet in the 2010 Broadway show ''Come Fly Away'' with a 19-piece big band playing the music of Fra ...

Michael Weiss Michael Weiss may refer to: Sports * Michael Weiss (figure skater) (born 1976), American former figure skater * Michael Weiss (swimmer) (born 1991), American swimmer * Michael Weiss (triathlete) (born 1981), Austrian triathlete and cyclist * Mich ...

, and

Myron Walden Myron Walden (born October 18, 1972) is a jazz saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist. Biography Born in Miami, Florida, Walden moved to The Bronx at the age of 12. His interest in the alto saxophone developed when he witnessed the close att ...

. The house pianist was

Frank Hewitt Frank Hewitt (October 23, 1935 – September 5, 2002) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. Life and career Born in Queens, New York, Hewitt lived most of his life in Harlem. His mother was a church pianist, and he initially studied classica ...

. Financial difficulties led Borden to close Smalls on May 31, 2003. The closing was due to declining attendance after the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

, rent increases in this neighborhood, and a

smoking ban Smoking bans, or smoke-free laws, are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor work ...

in indoor public places imposed by Mayor

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...

. Concerts were moved into the Fat Cat Club next door, which was open four nights a week until 2:00 AM. In 2004, the

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Brooklyn Jazz Underground is a jazz association founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2007. The association was formed by ten musicians to promote their work. In 2008, Anne Mette Iversen and Alexis Cuadrado of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground started th ...

premiered with four shows at Smalls. In early 2006, Borden and musicians Michael "Spike" Wilner and Lee Kostrinsky reopened Smalls. The club was restored and the sound quality was improved. Chairs were bought at 17 stoop sales. A poster of

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

from the original Smalls hangs on the wall. There is a full-service bar. Smalls continues to be recommended as a top jazz club. The entrance fee was raised to US$20. The first music set begins at 7:30 PM. Instead of all night jazz sessions, there are two or three sets per night. All concerts are broadcast live on the club's website and are available in replay to subscribers. The renovated club has featured

Bruce Barth Bruce David Barth (born September 7, 1958) is a jazz pianist, composer, and producer. Early life Barth was born in Pasadena, California, on September 7, 1958. He started to play the piano around the age of five. He had private jazz lessons with ...

, Aaron M. Johnson,

Sacha Perry Sacha Perry (born May 1, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer and pedagogue. Education and career Sacha Perry is an exponent of the bebop and hard bop styles, which he learned as a protégé of Barry Harris and Frank Hewitt, and he particu ...

Leon Parker Leon Parker (born August 21, 1965 in White Plains, New York) is a jazz percussionist and composer.All Music/ref> He is known for occasionally using a minimalist drum set with fewer components than usual, "sometimes consisting only of a snare dr ...

Steve Slagle Steve Slagle (born September 18, 1951) is an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in M ...

, Peter Bernstein,

Jimmy Cobb Wilbur James "Jimmy" Cobb (January 20, 1929May 24, 2020) was an American jazz drummer. He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. At the time of his death, he had been the band's last surviving member for nearly thirty years. He was a ...

Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, musician, DJ, and author. He is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he rea ...

Joel Frahm Joel Frahm (born 1970) is an American jazz saxophonist. Early life Frahm was born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1970.

Kevin Hays Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...

Ethan Iverson Ethan Iverson (born February 11, 1973) is a pianist, composer, and critic best known for his work in the avant-garde jazz trio The Bad Plus with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. Biography Iverson was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. ...

, ''Jazz Incorporated'' (

Jeremy Pelt Jeremy Pelt (born November 4, 1976, in California) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Pelt studied classical trumpet as a child and focused on jazz after playing in a high school jazz ensemble. He studied at Berklee College of Music. Among th ...

, Anthony Wonsey,

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

David Kikoski Dave Kikoski (born September 29, 1961) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist. Biography Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, ...

Ryan Kisor Ryan Kisor (born April 12, 1973) is an American jazz trumpeter. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Kisor learned trumpet from his father, Larry Kisor, and started playing in a local dance band (the Eddie Skeets Orchestra) at age ten. Kisor began clas ...

Bill Mobley Joseph William Mobley (born April 7, 1953) is an American jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player. Early life and education Mobley was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Both of his parents were musicians. Mobley learned piano, his mother's instrument, from ...

Tim Ries Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the University of Toronto. His un ...

Jim Rotondi James Robert Rotondi (born 28 August 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, and conductor. The youngest of five siblings, Rotondi was born in Butte, Montana. He played in New York City for twenty years before moving ...

, and Neal Smith. In 2013, the club started recording and streaming its daily performances over the internet. For a subscription fee, audiences could watch archived videos and live performances. The revenues generated from this subscription are split with artists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club shifted to live-streaming daily performances over the internet, with minimal audiences allowed at times. The SmallsLive Foundation was created to receive sponsorships for these performances.

Record labels

Since 2007 the club has had record label produced by Luke Kaven,. The new owners of Smalls created the label Smalls Live, which publishes some concerts at the club. It is distributed by

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''ha ...

Smalls Live discography

* ''Mark Soskin Quartet - Live At Smalls'' (Recorded January 16 & 17, 2015) * ''Ian Hendrickson-Smith Quartet - Live At Smalls'' (Recorded January 17 & 18, 2014) * ''Johnny O'Neal – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded June 16, 2013) * ''Peter Bernstein – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded October 16 & 17, 2012) * ''Frank Lacy – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded October 16 & 17, 2012) * ''David Berkman – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded January 2 & 3, 2013) * ''Rodney Green – Live at Smalls'' * ''Will Vinson – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded December 4 & 5, 2012) * ''Joe Magnarelli – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded August 31 & September 1) * ''Alex Sipiagin – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded June 25 & 26, 2012) * ''Harold Mabern –

Live at Smalls ''Live at Smalls'' is an album by pianist Harold Mabern. It was released by Smalls Live in 2013. Recording and music The musicians are Harold Mabern (piano), John Webber (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums).Tamarkin, Jeff (May 9, 2013"'Live at Smal ...

'' (Recorded June 22 & 23, 2012) * ''David Schnitter – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded November 11, 2012) * ''Tyler Mitchell – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded April 15, 2012) * ''Grant Stewart – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded April 6 & 7, 2012) * ''Dezron Douglas – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded March 23 & 24, 2012) * ''Ralph Lalama and Bop Juice – Live at Smalls'' * ''The Jesse Davis Quintet – Live at Smalls''(Recorded December 13, 14, 15, 2011) * ''The Lage Lund Four – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded May 3 and 4, 2011) * ''The Rick Germanson Quartet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded July 15 & 16, 2011) * ''Joel Frahm Quartet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded February 28 & March 1, 2011) * ''Bernstein, Goldings, Stewart – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded January 6, 7 & 8 2011) * ''The Tim Ries Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded December 3 & 4, 2010) * ''The Flail – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded October 8 and 9, 2010) * ''Bruce Barth Trio – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded September 29 & 30, 2010) * ''Cyrille Aimee And Friends – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded September 26 & 30, 2010) * ''Jazz Incorporated – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded August 27 & 28, 2010) * ''Spike Wilner Solo Piano – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded July & August, 2010) * ''The Ben Wolfe Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded May 25 & 26, 2010) * ''The Omer Avital Group – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded April 5 & 6, 2010) * ''Ari Hoenig and Punkbop – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded February 8, 2010) * ''The Jimmy Greene Quartet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded February 19 & 20, 2010) * ''Planet Jazz – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded January 8 & 9, 2010) * ''Ethan Iverson, Ben Street, Albert Tootie Heath – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded November 16, 17 & 18 2009) * ''The Jim Rotondi Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded October 21 & 22, 2009) * ''The Seamus Blake Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded August 31 & September 1, 2009) * ''The Neal Smith Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded August 23 & 24, 2009) * ''The Ian Hendrickson–Smith Group – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded February 8 & 9, 2008) * ''The Steve Davis Quintet Feat. Larry Willis – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded January 7 & 8, 2009) * ''The Peter Bernstein Quartet Feat. Jimmy Cobb – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded December 17 & 18, 2008) * ''The Dave Kikoski Trio – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded November 18 & 19, 2008) * ''The Kevin Hays Trio – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded August 13 & 14, 2008) * ''The Ryan Kisor Quintet – Live at Smalls'' (Recorded May 16 & 17, 2008)

References

External links

*
SmallsLIVE Smalls Jazz Club
at ''All About Jazz'' {{Authority control 1994 establishments in New York City Drinking establishments in Greenwich Village Jazz clubs in New York City Jazz record labels Music venues completed in 1993