In New York, His Grumpiness chose to stay at The Roxy in Tribeca. In the basement of this Art Deco style hotel was a jazz club called The Django. It had vaulted ceilings, small candlelit tables and had a speakeasy feel to it. We drank pink Gin based cocktail whilst listening to trad jazz guitar and trumpet. It was very very cool, shell footlights, spinning mirror chandelier and heavy red velvet curtains added to it's retro feel.
First up was Pascuale. He was mellow and a good way to start the evening off. The came Claffy, Dave and Rodney were cool beyond cool. Driving and groovy with piano, double bass and drums - fantastic. Grammy nominated David Kikoski was unbelievable on the piano and the best I have ever heard live. I couldn't believe our luck in finding this venue.
Then came the jam Session with about 20 or so musicians looking for an opportunity to play and they were fantastic especially the trumpeter Willie Jones the Third. This was a bar for musicians and it made me feel like a very cool Patron of the Arts drinking side by side with some of the best musicians I have ever heard.
I found New York to be just too big to explore properly. Next trip I will pick a neighbourhood and explore all the restaurants and bars in that looking for hidden gems. His Grumpiness said the seeing a sewer rat was the best thing about New York. Well, in his defence, it was a pretty big rat.
The USA does my head in. Off to Europe to find me some Brit pop and Euro electronica. Maybe a move away from the musical arts and a focus on the dramatic arts. Where better than the land of Shakespeare? Next stop London.
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