02 · GALLERY
Five frames.
You descend a flight of stairs from Seventh Avenue South into a wedge-shaped basement that has been the Vanguard since 1935. Capacity 123, never renovated, no opener, two sets a night, the bar at the back is cash-only. The Lorraine Gordon era ran from 1989 to 2018. The Deborah Gordon era runs now. The room has appeared on more jazz live recordings than any other space on Earth. Coltrane, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Brad Mehldau, the entire post-bop canon was recorded here. The low ceiling presses the sound down onto the audience. The second set on a Tuesday at 9pm is where the room earns its name.
Two sets a night, late set is looser. Ask for table 4 when booking. Cash bar only.
The canonical basement jazz club. The format every other intimate jazz space is measured against.
Tuesday through Saturday evening sets. The 9pm Tuesday is the engineer's pick, the room as it should sound. Sunday and Monday off-nights occasional shows. Avoid the December holiday weeks when programming pauses.
Open nightly. Two sets, 20:30 and 22:30 (sometimes a third late set). Cash bar only, two-drink minimum. Doors 30 minutes before each set.
1, 2, 3 train to 14th Street/7th Avenue, walk three blocks south. From West 4th Street, ten-minute walk south. The basement entrance is at 178 7th Avenue South at Perry Street; a red awning, easy to miss.