I could have done without some of the name-dropping banter between tunes, but the room was mostly full of happy listeners. (I recommend the elevated tables along the left wall as you enter.) Young stood in a shiny black suit next to an accompanist at a shiny black Yamaha piano, offering up stylized ’50s pop and (because it was December) lounge-ified Christmas songs.ĭespite fighting a cold, Young hit some amazing high notes and delivered the phrasing, tone and showmanship (including some roaming through the audience) that have won him a Tony and a Grammy. Instead the main entrance is through the parking garage.īut inside, I liked the sound and sightlines. In December, my wife and I dropped in to hear singer John Lloyd Young, best known for playing and singing the Frankie Valli role in the stage and screen versions of “Jersey Boys.”Īrriving, I found myself wishing the front doors were under a snazzy boulevard-facing sign. This is a club - a supper club, really - that’s suitable for a fancy date night. This is the only jazz club in Hollywood, and it’s a big one, 275 seats in an L-shaped room and an elevated stage with a bright red curtain. (Sadly, he wasn’t there when I visited recently, so I couldn’t try it.) The bar sells only craft beer and wine, and there’s no drink minimum. There’s no food at 1642, but on occasion one of the musicians who plays on Wednesdays will sell spicy pickled eggs for $3. They don’t post a weekly schedule, so it’s best to check the Instagram page for information on performances. The bar typically has live music at least three times a week, including a ragtime-inspired piano set on Tuesdays, a 1920s swing band on Wednesdays and another form of music, sometimes cumbia, on Thursdays. every first Thursday of the month for more than a decade. Kelly Marie Martin has been holding the jam session from 8 to 11 p.m. You would’ve thought they’d rehearsed together from how in sync they sounded. When I stopped by on a recent Thursday night, I felt like I’d been plopped onto the set of “Bridgerton,” sans the flowy ballgowns, Regency-era tuxedos and fanciful decor, as a large group of string players performed old-time music - a form of North American folk music - in a circle. Still, the welcoming vibe and distinct sounds - you can hear everything from jazz to swing and ragtime - lure people inside. The only signage is the address number in black above the dark doorway. It’s easy to stroll past 1642’s plain white building. The most affordable beer is $6 and wines typically range from $11 to $13. The dive bar quickly became a go-to spot for local musicians to perform and jam together - as they do every first Thursday on string instruments - and for locals to fill up on cheap beer and wine. “The right people just came my way,” she said. When Liz Fischbach opened 1642 nearly 15 years ago, she wanted to bring a laid-back watering hole to her Filipinotown neighborhood, where she’d been living for several years.Īs a casual jazz fan, she’d sometimes play the genre on a sound system, but then several musicians - who played everything from traditional jazz to old-time and Greek folk music - started coming in regularly and asking her if they could play there. When Jeff Hanley, producer-host of the nationally distributed radio shows “Jazz After Hours” and “Jazz Happening Now,” tries out a new music venue, he looks for “authenticity, a place where people are there to hear and respect the music.” Nowadays, it’s easier to find jazz on Sunday than on Friday or Saturday. (Many are listed at this curated list from editors.) We seem to have traveled far since the days when prudes denounced jazz as the devil’s music. There also are clubs known for their weekly jazz nights or jam sessions, including General Lee’s in Chinatown (Tuesdays), the York in Highland Park (Wednesdays), Rudolph’s in downtown’s Freehand Hotel (Wednesdays), Lavender Blue Restaurant Lounge in Inglewood (Sundays), the Mint near Carthay Square (Sundays) and Justine’s Wine Bar in Frogtown (also Sundays).Īlso, there are Sunday brunches - so many Sunday brunches, often featuring the smooth jazz that purists like to scorn. Stay up to date on the best things to do, see and eat in L.A.īeyond these places, many other venues present big jazz names occasionally or stage annual festivals, like the Hollywood Bowl, the Soraya at Cal State Northridge or the Leimert Park Jazz Festival.
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