Mezzrow — Restaurant in New York

This review is overdue, but I had a nigh on spiritual experience in this cozy little basement in the West Village a while back and if I help even one other person feel the same, it will have been worth writing.

Like many, I find myself when I get lost in New York. After plans for a long weekend in the city with friends fell through, my wife and I decided to wing it. We found Mezzrow completely by chance, only later learning that it’s been one of NYC’s more significant jazz spots since the 90s and is even featured in the Louis Vuitton City Guide.

It turned out to be a magical night.

Down an easy-to-miss stair just around the corner from the famous Stonewall Inn, a Steinway lives out its golden years in an intimate back corner of a narrow brick-lined bar. The ceilings are low, the drinks are strong, and given the number of people there that night the bathroom was surprisingly clean (a major plus in my book).

We bought our tickets on the train over and by good fortune we arrived just as the previous set was getting out. The man at the door seated us right up by the performers, one of whom — the drummer — I accidentally bumped on my way to our seats (my apologies if you ever read this!).

We sat and sipped as we waited for the ten o’clock set to start, an old fashioned and a French 75 — old habits, new places. I had just started to wonder how they got the piano down the steep and narrow stairs when Cameron Campbell took his seat.

Accompanied by his brother and a close friend, the trio lit up the stage as the entire room felt their connection from the first note. The way they looked at each other was love, and together they created a performance together greater than any could have as a solo act. 

It’s a feeling you have to be in the room for, you can’t hear on a studio album or even a live recording. I’ve been to a lot of basements, seen a lot of jazz, but rarely has it been quite so electric. This was the kind of performance that reminds you that jazz is made to be lived in.

A lot of people have confused notions about the genre. Outside of certain circles, it has a reputation for being pretentious or boring, confusing, and, most regrettably, elevator music. It’s possibly the least monolithic genre, but too many hear Kenny G once at the mall and decide that’s it.

Most have not experienced a live performance. If I could, I would bring them all to Mezzrow.

Jazz is a genre best experienced firsthand. When you see it played live you’re drawn in, captivated by the energy of it, grounded in its construction among the players and enlightened to how each piece of the ensemble contributes.

Other artists have variations in their live performances — imperfections normally cut out in the studio. We go to concerts and love them for this reason. It’s real. But ultimately, the studio album is the peak experience in terms of sound quality and realizing the artists’ creative vision.

Not jazz. Jazz is music of the moment.

Louis Armstong said it’s “music that’s never played the same way once” because though it’s written and rehearsed over and again in advance, the version the audience sees is often created on the spot. Improvisation leads every performance. From the song to the genre, jazz is alive, changing, fluid.

And that’s why I love Mezzrow — because more than any venue I’ve been to, it embodies all of these qualities too. The spirit of jazz is alive there, and I can’t wait to go back.

So I invite you to give it a shot — the lived experience is so much different than an album, or god forbid...

Go ahead that I liked the musicians and that the singer who joined had a beautiful voice. My complaint comes both from the wine that was served to us and from the service itself. First of all, the white wine was either of poor quality or spoiled, it was also served hot and, although we asked for an ice bucket to keep it, it was undrinkable. After the first pass of the musicians we were asked to order another drink but that does not seem correct to me since the menu indicated that the bottle is 9 glasses...then if we were three people it is clear that we fully met the premise of two glasses each, we still had to order again... When, at the end of the night, we complained to the waiter about the poor quality of the wine served, I was surprised that the excuse was that the important thing is the show and the quality of the music... my jaw dropped. I've been to quite a few music shows and I've also been on stage and I've never seen a waiter constantly pacing between tables, filling and refilling glasses of water (didn't see the point of this) and swiping the card to pay while the musicians were performing...a huge lack of respect both for them and for the spectators. The service must be done in the middle, not during the show if there is a minimum of professionalism and respect. Payment must be made at the end, when the musicians have finished, no one is going to leave without paying. They talk to me about the importance of jazz and the quality of the performers as fundamental, but they constantly annoy me, preventing them from enjoying...

Come for the jazz, not the cocktails. ;-)

The crowd was smaller on a weekday early evening performance. We showed up at 5:30 PM at the recommendation of a friend and were able to get listening room seats for the 6 PM set at the walk in price. The Mezzrow space is down a narrow set of stairs (duck if you’re tall), dimly lit, and quite cozy in a good way. There are lots of options around for dinner after or before the set.

We definitely enjoyed the piano/bass/drums trio but regretted our drink choices — an old fashioned that was undrinkable (some sort of watered down combo of bitter spice, no whiskey taste, no sweetness, lots of ice) and a whiskey sour that seemed just lemon juice and ice with a cherry. Maybe it wasn’t the regular bartender? I’d like to think so. We will order wine, straight whiskey, or sodas next time—something that isn’t mixed.

There is supposed to be a “no talking in the listening room” requirement if sitting close to the musicians, but a couple of older women next to us talked to each other through the set, whooped near the end of or during every tune, and were less well-behaved than the small group of middle schoolers who were also there to hear the jazz. (I do love that the space is friendly to younger people! These kids clearly enjoyed the music!)

Even with the crummy cocktails and the whooping women, the overall experience was truly good (we were there primarily for the jazz after all!), and we will definitely plan to come back next time we are...