Bill’s Place is a Harlem institution steeped in history—for nearly 22 years, saxophone player and singer Bill Saxton has been hosting weekly shows in the ground floor of a Central Harlem brownstone. The space was a speakeasy during prohibition, and even more notably is where Billie Holiday was discovered in 1933 (and where chicken and waffles came together, thanks to an “in-between owner,” Saxton says). There are two sets on Friday and Saturday nights—7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.—and you’ll want to arrive early to snag a seat right in front of the band; on the night I visited, Bill was of course there on sax, while a drummer, upright bass player, and pianist made up the Harlem All-Stars. You get a little bit of everything here, both in terms of genre and performance—Latin, ballads, blue, music history, comedy. It’s hard not to let your mind wander while listening to the music, imagining what it must have been like to be dancing here during the height of Swing Street. There’s no food or drink service, but sodas are for sale up front, and it’s BYOB (cups are provided). Music nerds will love the Roy Hayes drumkit in use, and the size of the space—no matter your seat, at most, you’re 15 feet from the stage. New Yorkers, this is a great place to take visitors to go beyond the Midtown Manhattan of it all.—Madison Flager, associate commerce director
The Django
Where: TriBeCa, Manhattan
Am I in New York, or a boîte in Paris? Walking into The Django, concealed beneath the Roxy Hotel in TriBeCa, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve wandered onto a Left Bank stage. Red curtains frame the vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, while chic couples huddle into cozy twosomes at candlelit tables. The woman next to me, dressed in plaid and a pair of killer heels, could have stepped straight out of a Truffaut film. The venue features two cocktail bars, an open dining space, and a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system that makes for great listening wherever you are. Waiters in white blazers discreetly take drink orders; I opted for the Smoke Show (Scotch, Amaro del Capo, apple cider, ginger, honey, lemon, finished with an Islay Scotch mist), a smoky concoction that perfectly complemented the red and gold palette of the room. The elevated dinner menu and handcrafted cocktail program by mixologist Natasha David means you can easily make an evening of it. Small signs requesting silence appear throughout as a gentle reminder that you’re here for one thing: the music. The set moves from upbeat swing to somber ballads, the musicians trading playful riffs and cheeky jokes that reveal an unbeatable chemistry. The performance flows with an ease that feels like watching old friends jam. The crowd is laughing, nodding, utterly absorbed and seems to melt into the sound. Before I knew it, the hour was up, and as I waltzed out into the SoHo night, I felt like I was living in my own film.—Pallavi Kumar, associate visuals director
Zinc Bar
Where: Greenwich Village, Manhattan
