Smalls Jazz Club is a jazz club at 183 West 10th Street, 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 music is characterized as "modern versions of bebop and hard bop". The club's main room is in a basement with a capacity of 50 people that expanded to 60 people.
History
Smalls Jazz Club was established in 1994 by Mitchell "Mitch" Borden, a former submariner and nurse. Its target audience was characterized as young, bohemian, 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, Noah Becker, Peter Bernstein, Avishai Cohen, Ari Hoenig, Guillermo Klein, Jason Lindner, Charles Owens, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Grant Stewart, Mark Turner, Tommy Turrentine, Richie Vitale, Michael Weiss, and Myron Walden. The house pianist was Frank Hewitt.
Financial difficulties led Borden to close Smalls on May 31, 2003. The closing was due to declining attendance after the September 11 attacks, rent increases in this neighborhood, and a smoking ban in indoor public places imposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. 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 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 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, Aaron M. Johnson, Sacha Perry, Leon Parker, Steve Slagle, Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Cobb, Steve Davis, Joel Frahm, Kevin Hays, Ethan Iverson, Jazz Incorporated (Jeremy Pelt, Anthony Wonsey, Louis Hayes), David Kikoski, Ryan Kisor, Bill Mobley, Tim Ries, Jim Rotondi, 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.
Smalls Live discography The Ian Hendrickson-Smith Group, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. February 8–9, 2008 The Ryan Kisor Quintet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. May 16–17, 2008 The Kevin Hays Trio, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. August 13–14, 2008 The Dave Kikoski Trio, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. November 18–19, 2008 The Peter Bernstein Quartet Feat. Jimmy Cobb, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. December 17–18, 2008 The Steve Davis Quintet Feat. Larry Willis, Live at Smalls (2009) – rec. January 7–8, 2009 The Neal Smith Quintet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. August 23–24, 2009 The Seamus Blake Quintet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. August 31 – September 1, 2009 The Jim Rotondi Quintet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. October 21–22, 2009 Ethan Iverson, Albert Tootie Heath, Ben Street, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. November 16–18, 2009 Planet Jazz, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. January 8–9, 2010 Ari Hoenig, Punkbop: Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. February 8, 2010 The Jimmy Greene Quartet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. February 19–20, 2010 The Omer Avital Group, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. April 5–6, 2010 The Ben Wolfe Quintet, Live at Smalls (2010) – rec. May 25–26, 2010 Jazz Incorporated, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. August 27–28, 2010 Cyrille Aimée & Friends, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. September 26 & 30, 2010 Bruce Barth Trio, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. September 29–30, 2010 The Flail, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. October 8–9, 2010 The Tim Ries Quintet, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. December 3–4, 2010 Bernstein, Goldings, Stewart, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. January 6–8, 2011 Joel Frahm Quartet, Live at Smalls (2011)– rec. February 28 – March 1, 2011 The Lage Lund Four, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. May 3–4, 2011 The Rick Germanson Quartet Feat. Dr. Eddie Henderson, Live at Smalls (2011) – rec. July 15–16, 2011 The Jesse Davis Quintet, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. December 13–15, 2011 Ralph Lalama, Bopjuice: Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. December 14–15, 2011 Dezron Douglas, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. March 23–24, 2012 Grant Stewart, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. April 6–7, 2012 Tyler Mitchell, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. April 15, 2012 Harold Mabern, Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. June 22–23, 2012 Alex Sipiagin, Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. June 25–26, 2012 Joe Magnarelli, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. August 31 – September 1, 2012 Rodney Green Quartet, Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. October 16–17, 2012 Frank Lacy, Live at Smalls (2014) – rec. October 16–17, 2012 Peter Bernstein, Solo Guitar – Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. October 16–17, 2012 David Schnitter, Live at Smalls (2012) – rec. November 11, 2012 Will Vinson, Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. December 4–5, 2012 David Berkman, Live at Smalls (2013) – rec. January 2–3, 2013 Johnny O'Neal, Live at Smalls (2014) – rec. June 16, 2013 Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Live At Smalls (2014) – rec. January 17–18, 2014 Spike Wilner, Live at Smalls (2015) – rec. January – April 2014 Mark Soskin Quartet, Live At Smalls (2015) – rec. January 16–17, 2015
References
External links
SmallsLIVE Smalls Jazz Club at All About Jazz