Get Cool With Jazz At Minton’s
If you think that July 4th is only about BBQ, beer, and fireworks, then let introduce you the Minton’s 24hr Jazz Marathon in Harlem.
Follow The Duke’s advice and “Take the A Train” to Harlem to hear some amazing jazz and support a great cause. Originally opened in 1938 before closing in 1974, the legendary Minton’s Playhouse reopened in 2006 and this weekend is the 2nd annual 24hour Jazz Marathon.
From 12pm Saturday until noon on Sunday, you can listen to some of the greatest musicians in the world play the same stage that Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis all played; where bebop was born. Bands are coming from all over New York to support the Jazzy Kids Project, a music mentoring program held that Minton’s that exposes Harlem youth to Jazz and teaches them to play instruments.
Finish eating your BBQ and reading Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” and then you should come to Minton’s and experience the best of American culture. Nowhere else in New York City have I found a more sophisticated and hip crowd. At Minton’s, you can hang with Harlem’s most significant activists, artists, businessmen, and get a taste of what it must have been like in the 1940s at the all night jam sessions.
206-210 West 118th Street between 7th and St Nicholas Avenue. Tel.212-864-8346. Take the B,C or 2,3 train to 116th Street.
Encountering Genius
Out back on the patio at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem on Saturday night, it was easy to believe that there is an arts revolution brewing in this country. Sitting at the feet of Dennis Davis, a legendary drummer most known for his work with David Bowie and Stevie Wonder, we got high off his virtuosity. Making music to get through the hard times, Davis has a story that’s begging to be told. We hope to help him do that.
