Jazz at Lincoln Center

Stunning night out for jazz, we saw the Swinging Songs of Broadway show, fantastic atmosphere, masterful musicians and the program of songs was fantastic.
Staff are fantastic and friendly, this spot makes for a fancy night out.

A great location, with several rooms and space to set up dinner tables for events, weddings, performances, and conferences. The staff is quick, coat check (upstairs) and check-​in (at the elevator bank) well-​placed, and the design could use some work on the number and placement of bathrooms. The hall of artifacts between the two largest rooms — the Rose Theater and the Appel Room — is narrow, so if you have a lot of people, I could see it being a problem in a rush (or just the crush of people mingling during events).
5^th floor in the Columbus Circle building, not actually at Lincoln Center, don’t wander in the wrong way!
Performances here are good — the Jazz (of course), and the theater. Piano/​music here works particularly well, the design of the Theater works well. Will speak more about that in separate reviews.

Saw Charles Lloyd here twice with my father (who turned me on to Jazz in general and Mr. Lloyd in particular); once with his own quartet and once with Bill Friesell and it was boss both times. The overall atmosphere is not to be missed for any true aficionado of the music and I am strongly considering purchasing a membership. The convenience of the restaurants in the building are only a bonus.

Show at JALC last Night Music in the Key of Life was fantastic. Every musician is a band leader in his own right. Such proficiency and great musical feeling. Perfect venue in Rose Hall. Great sound, great playing and classy location.

I stayed at the location 940 8ave down a few blocks from this location. I must say it was quite an experience. I love the fact that you can meet all sorts of people just by staying in a dorm like environment. It was very affordable and had decent front desk service. There was great wifi that was free and it was half a mile from key attractions like Central Park and Times Square. It’s perfect for those traveling alone or with another person.

Listening to tunes at a classy place is what JALC is all about. Love the setting in the Rose Hall. I was a bit skeptical about getting balcony seats but I am very impressed with the view.

This was the first time I came to a jazz club. I sat next to the window. The view was amazing and the jazz was beautiful. My cousin and I both love the song Language of Flower best. The food was great too. All in all, it’s a great place to hang out with friends, or maybe a date!

I attended a concert at JALC promoted as «Basie’s Blues» on Friday, December 12, 2014. Count Basie is widely hailed for his trailblazing marriages of blues and jazz. I was very enthusiastic about the prospect of an evening focusing on this very specific sound. I was to be disappointed.
The piano was heavy-​handed, not the light touch that was Count Basie’s trademark sound. Kenny Washington, the male vocalist, sings in higher registers than the typical male vocalists in the Basie bands. The saxes presented duets that were refined to the point of pure polemics, devoid of funk. And during the 85 minute set, only two blues numbers were played, the balance of the program comprising typical show tunes and torch classics — schmaltz.
I left the hall disappointed and angry. What had been billed as Basie’s Blues was neither Basie nor blues. And the presenters were in a position to know better. They relied on the ignorance of the audience to respond favorably, which it in large part did. So much for the sophistication of New York audiences.
I will never again trust JALC to deliver on any promised program. That $ 100 ticket will be my last at JALC.

Come for the Jazz and drinks, stay away from the pricey «food.»
My girlfriend, the mother of my child, and my fellow Unilocaler, brought me here for my 32^nd birthday. We saw Ellis Marsalis put it DOWN for his 80^th birthday celebration. This place has such an intimate setting, there’s not one bad seat in the house. There are great views of the stage and great views to be had of the city. What I really enjoy about the club is that the audio, particularly for a live concert venue, is at the perfect volume. We were sitting an arms length away from the drummer on stage and not once did I ever think to myself, «this is too loud.» As for the audience, there were so many cross-​sections of people who came out. From old to young, white to black, and everyone in between — truly had a blast!
Now, as for the food, it’s the one star that I took away from giving this place five stars. For an appetizer, I ordered the spinach and crawfish dip, which would have been decent if they could find something other than W.I.C. Program graham crackers to serve it with. The thirty-​six dollar NY Strip I ordered was of the same quality as the orange sticker clearance steaks at C-​Town. And that’s not to shit on C-​town, because even a C-​Town clearance steak will taste good if you season it and cook it right. At this place, however, my steak was simply a piece of tasteless overcooked meat that a dominant lion would leave to his starving enemy just to get a good laugh out of it. For dessert, the sweet potato pie was actually very pumpkin pie looking and it came with this gummy white tree sap on top that I had to make sure wasn’t wall caulk. It was absolutely terrible.
The shitty, absolutely shitty food aside, the venue is great, and the wine is fabulous. Order some of the Malbec! I’ll be back to jam with the greats, but only after grabbing some Chipotle before I come.

Great view, very intimate, classy, and spacious seating and pleasant servers. I always come here for a dose of jazz and blues and a very ecletic mix of performers. The view of columbus circle and central park behind the stage is lovely, great for a date night. Drink range from $ 9+ and appetizers on menu until around 11pm. Prices for late night sessions after 11:30pm ranging $ 5-​$ 10 and a $ 10 minimum order per person. Earlier sessions are a little more pricey. Overall a fantastic place to take in some good vibes.

I really enjoyed the music I heard here. The featured artists were excellent, the solos were awesome, Wynton Marsalis was engaging and funny. Generally prefer more intimate/​smaller venues for jazz performances but I did like the Lincoln Center. Our seats were overlooking the stage which is definitely a unique way to see a show. The acoustics are quite good but again, I personally prefer a smaller setting. Great views of the city also. Highly recommend going to a concert here.

Great space, great view, music reason to go, not the food. Had ribs and friend had fried chicken… Yeahhhh I know not what you expect on it takes weeks to get into this places menu.
But it was what waiter who suggested selections or hamburger. so do as those who tell u from those who eat here every night. I rank my ribs as a 2 out of 10… Next to say a Mighty Quinn’s in Village it gets a zero.
Fried chicken, let’s just say my partner said it was a 1 out of 10. So basically the food blows. Would I come back, …yes to listen to music.
Oh. they forgot our salads also. oh well… Jazz time it can be and is. Eat elsewhere however.

Came here on Monday May 5 for the Lewis Black Big Star Stars for Big Cure for Cystic Fibrosis Research.
The show was great and the theater was lovely! Only downside was cocktails were not allowed in.

I’m not an artsy individual but after attending many events around the city with the girlfriend I will say this space is probably one of the best venues in the city. The seating is relatively spacious compared to some of the theaters I’ve been in and the chairs themselves were comfortable. Since there aren’t that many seats available you get to sit very close to the performers and best of all is the view of Columbus Circle as the backdrop. Great space, great lighting, and very nice facilities that are all new/​updated.

With two visits under my belt I’m going to give just an average review. I’ve gone to the late night sessions on Saturday because, you should be able to stay up until the wee hours when listening to jazz. My first time was to listen to the John Raymond Quartet and those guys were awesome. I don’t think I can say how great they were and was a great experience. The second time I went there was not as enjoyable. In fact, it was misleading and pretty infuriating. My friends and I stood in the non-​reservation line which apparently is the ‘reservation’ line even though there were signs that were clearly marked. We were told multiple times that we could get in but they kept pushing the time back, even though when I called I was told that we could ‘walk in’ no problem.
We got tired of waiting and left, at this point I’m not sure if I’ll ever really want to come back.

Breathtaking venue to watch some Jazz against the backdrop of the city. For the views make sure you see a performance in the Allen Room. Also if you buy a souvenir tumblr and ask for wine, they will fill it to the brim and you can enjoy it throughout the performance. Great to enjoy drinks with your show!

Came here to support fellow singers in the «Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration» with Wynton Marsalis. It was absolutely amazing and I was completely blown away. I’ve seen Wynton Marsalis at BAM before but this intense fusion with Gospel; the collaboration with Abyssinian was spectacular.
Just one thing –I’m not sure if I care for the seating. It could have been the fact that was upstairs in one of the boxes with the stage below me. –I was facing the audience. I really shouldn’t complain because they were comp tickets, but still.
It’s a bit awkward but all in all, a really good concert.

SO IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE!
I had the distinct pleasure of watching The Tony Lustig Quintet at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola with my family and a few friends for my birthday. This was the first time any of us had been there. We all agree — this place is SO Sexy. Definitely an air of sophistication about the whole experience.
You may want to arrive early. Even though it wasn’t crowded (which I love), guests seem to be seated on a first come, first serve. We were fortunate enough to get a table in the front with a view of the city in the background — to die for!
The service was superior, as were the food and drinks. I found the prices to be reasonable.

One Saturday in early November, my former roommate got three free tickets to Jazz for Young People at the Lincoln Center. She took me and my fiancé, and told us in advance that we did not count as «young people» for the purposes of this show.
I’d never been to Jazz at Lincoln Center before, and I was impressed with the venue, which was both spacious and cozy. There wasn’t a big crowd, so ticket holders in the back were urged to move forward to fill up rows, as the show was being recorded. This created a little chaos as this instruction was given too early — I felt for both the people who arrived a bit late to find their seats filled, and for the people who were booted after doing what they’d been told. Once all that was settled, everything was really pleasant. We were close to the front, and the acoustics were excellent. The show was short, perfect for the attention spans of the many children in the audience.
Jazz for Young People is famous Pulitzer– and Grammy-​winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’s project, and it’s designed to create interest in jazz among children. Our party of three was in an underrepresented age range within the audience — most of the people around us were young parents or children. The crowd was directly encouraged to make noise, and this made for a pretty lively viewing experience.
I know very little about jazz, so I also got a lot out of the show, which was an introduction to the life and music of John Coltrane. Wynton Marsalis led the show with a small group of musicians, including a few who were very young themselves (between eighteen and twenty). He wove biography with music in an interesting, entertaining way, and both his storytelling and the performances of his group were excellent. There was some intense talent on stage, and we were treated to a string of Coltrane tunes that followed his life. Marsalis involved the audience quite a bit, getting the children in the audience to shout things like «Dizzy Gillespie!», «consistent improvement!», and pretty hilariously, «nuance!»
I did think it was an interesting choice to leave race completely out of the story of Coltrane’s life. No one mentioned that Coltrane was black, or that jazz came out of black communities — something that most of the adults in the audience probably knew, and that the children had no way of knowing. I’m sure the very famous black man Wynton Marsalis had a reason for this, but it felt like a missed opportunity to educate a whole crowd of white upper-​class children.
No matter, I came out of the show energized and happy, and soon after, I bought tickets to see Marsalis perform in L.A. in March. I’m taking my little brother, who is a high school trumpet player with an emerging interest in jazz. The audience for this next show will be older than the last, and I’m glad I got my grade school introduction to Wynton Marsalis at Jazz for Young People.

If you want a TRUE New York Jazz experience with a great view of Manhattan, GO HERE.
Also, go after 11pm, the cover charge is only $ 5, and that is great deal for a Friday Night Jazz Experience :)