Nick's (Nick's Tavern) was a tavern and jazz club located in the

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

neighborhood of the borough in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, which peaked in popularity during the 1940s and 1950s. It was notable for its position, because most popular jazz clubs at this time were located on 52nd street. Nick's, however, was placed on an unusually-shaped property off the northwest corner of 10th Street and 7th Avenue. Many artists performed at the club including

Bill Saxton William Edward Saxton (born June 28, 1946, in New York City) is an American hard bop tenor saxophonist. He studied clarinet, composition and arrangement at the New England Conservatory in Boston Boston is the capital and most populous ci ...

(a Friday night regular),

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spirit ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

, Pee Wee Russell,

Muggsy Spanier Francis Joseph "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist based in Chicago. He was a member of the Bucktown Five, pioneers of the "Chicago style" that straddled traditional Dixieland jazz and swi ...

Miff Mole Irving Milfred Mole (March 11, 1898 – April 29, 1961) known professionally as Miff Mole, was an American jazz trombonist and band leader. He is generally considered one of the greatest jazz trombonists and credited with creating "the first dis ...

and Joe Grauso, among others. Artists like

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

used to visit the pub to relax after their own gigs. During the early 1950s, the club was noted for its regular

Phil Napoleon Phil Napoleon (born Filippo Napoli; September 2, 1901 – October 1, 1990) was an early jazz trumpeter and bandleader born in Boston, Massachusetts. Ron Wynn observed that Napoleon "was a competent, though unimaginative trumpeter whose greatest ...

and

The Original Memphis Five The Original Memphis Five was an early jazz quintet founded in 1917 by trumpeter Phil Napoleon and pianist Frank Signorelli. Jimmy Lytell was a member from 1922 to 1925. The group made many recordings between 1921 and 1931, sometimes under dif ...

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

performances.

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts ...

, a regular at the club, remembered the club's "Sizzling Steaks," a kitchen specialty, and the signature wall decor. “We used to put lit cigarettes in the mouths of the moose heads, which would drive the maitre d’s crazy,” Hyman recalled. The club had a bar which served soft drinks and alcohol.

History

Nick's was founded by Nick Rongetti in 1922, after 4 previous attempts to open a jazz club in New York. Rongetti was known fondly for his love of

Dixieland jazz Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

, which helped the club in amassing a close ring of like-minded followers. Immediately, Dixieland became a staple of the club's sound (so much so that ''The New York Times'' once referred to the music as "Nicksieland"). The Nick's style was also influenced by the use of

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

, as there was no printed music and there were "no rules" when it came to improvising. In the mid 1940s, the term "Nicksieland" was further popularized when

, a frequent player at the club, formed an octet called "Miff Mole and his Nicksieland Band." Mole's band consisted of members who played at Nick's frequently, including

Bob Casey Robert or Bob Casey may refer to: American politicians * Robert E. Casey (1909–1982), Pennsylvania Treasurer, 1977–1981 * Robert R. Casey (1915–1986), House of Representatives member from Texas *Robert F. Casey (1921–2006), Illinois House o ...

Bobby Hackett Robert Leo Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) was a versatile American jazz musician who played swing music, Dixieland jazz and mood music, now called easy listening, on trumpet, cornet, and guitar. He played Swing with the bands ...

Eddie Condon Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang. He also owned a self-named night club in New York City. Early ...

Ernie Caceres Ernesto Caceres (November 22, 1911 – January 10, 1971) was an American jazz saxophonist born in Rockport, Texas. He was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1940 to 1942. Background Caceres's brothers were both musicians. Emilio Cacere ...

, Gene Schroeder, Joe Grauso and

Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969) was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

Legacy

Nick's closure left a hole in the heart of Greenwich Village, but lived on in the memories of its musicians and patrons. Nick's Tavern was the first notable jazz club to open on 7th Street and helped to spread the influence of Dixieland jazz throughout Greenwich Village. It was purchased and replaced by another jazz club the following year "Your Father's Mustache," which was eventually replaced again in 1976. Nick's helped to bring jazz to Greenwich Village where other Jazz clubs now prosper, such as

The Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...

and

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

References

External links

*
Jim Cullum Riverwalk Jazz Collection at Stanford University
{{coord, 40, 44, 3.9, N, 74, 00, 9.5, W, type:landmark_region:US_dim:27, display=title 1940 establishments in New York City Greenwich Village jazz clubs in New York City music venues completed in 1940 music venues in Manhattan taverns in New York (state)

History

Legacy

See also

References

External links