THE JAZZ SCENE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN WNY! by Robin Millbrand

The following is a list of six of the top Jazz venues offering a selection of some of the best musicians performing jazz in Western New York.

GIGI”S CUCINA POVERA 981 Kenmore Ave Buffalo, N.Y.

Gigi’s is a gourmet Italian restaurant offering fine dining and a weekly selection of jazz vocalists and musicians to enjoy with dinner. Chef and owner Mary Ann Giordano offers an excellent Mediterranean cuisine and wine list. If you don’t want dinner, the bar offers an excellent viewing to the shows as well.

THE PAUSA ART HOUSE 19 Wadsworth Ave Buffalo, N.Y.

The Pausa Art House offers the best selection of jazz in town on a weekly basis. Some of the area’s finest musicians offer reasonably priced shows featuring almost all styles of music. On Wednesdays at 7pm, the club has a Singers Series showcasing some of the best singers singing jazz in town. The Pausa Art House offers a selection of gourmet sandwiches and tapas plates along with vintage wines and craft beers. The venue also displays a collection from some well-known local artists in town creating an artistic ambience that is matchless in jazz clubs in town.

ANCHOR BAR 1047 Main St Buffalo, N.Y.

The legendary Anchor Bar is famous for creating Chicken Wing phenomenon but on the weekends has a forty-year history of displaying some of the most soulful jazz in town. The Jazz Example led by Bilal Abdullah and Doug ‘Trigger’ Gaston has had the gig for a long time and they deliver as good as ever. Check out the Latin Jazz on Saturday nights as well.

COLORED MUSICIAN CLUB 145 Broadway Ave Buffalo, NY

The Colored Musicians Club is the longest continuously running jazz club operating in town. They are presenting a concert series called “Jazz in the Sanctuary” featuring a collection of some of the best jazz in town. The club even offers youth music lessons. This venue and its museum are absolute cultural treasures documenting Buffalo’s contribution to America’s art form.

SPORTSMEN’S TAVERN 326 Amherst St Buffalo, NY

Although not primarily known as a jazz club, the Sportsmen’s Tavern offers a weekly lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays featuring the fabulous Joe Baudo Big Band on Tuesdays and his quartet with special guests on Wednesdays. The lunch menu is reasonably priced and has a tasty selection of sandwiches and appetizers. By the way, both Joe Baudo’s big band and quartet perform without a cover and venue might have the most dramatic viewing in town.

NIETZSCHE’S 248 Allen St Buffalo, NY

Nietzsche’s is a bar that features jazz three days a week for more than twenty years. On Mondays, Nietzsche’s features a jazz happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30 with various hosts and reasonable drinks. Singer/guitarist Tyler Westcott performs on Wednesdays at 6pm with Buffalo’s own traditional jazz legend, Dr. Jazz. The band performs songs from the twenties, thirties and forties with a modern twist. Sunday nights feature Boogie-Woogie piano played by Annie Philloppone from six to eight pm followed by various jazz groups performing a selection of traditional and modern jazz from eight to eleven.