Nick's

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Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole, and Joe Grauso, Nick's of New York City in June 1946 Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole, and Joe Grauso, Nick's (Tavern), New York, N.Y., ca. June 1946 (William P. Gottlieb 06581) (cropped).jpg
Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole, and Joe Grauso, Nick's of New York City in June 1946

Nick's (Nick's Tavern) was a tavern and jazz club located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of the borough in Manhattan, New York City, [1] which peaked in popularity during the 1940s and 1950s. It was notable for its position, because most popular jazz clubs at this time were located on 52nd street. [2] Nick's, however, was placed on an unusually-shaped property [3] off the northwest corner of 10th Street and 7th Avenue.

Contents

Ernie Caceres, Bobby Hackett, Freddie Ohms, and George Wettling, Nick's of New York City between 1946 and 1948 Ernie Caceres, Bobby Hackett, Freddie Ohms, and George Wettling, Nick's (Gottlieb 03631).jpg
Ernie Caceres, Bobby Hackett, Freddie Ohms, and George Wettling, Nick's of New York City between 1946 and 1948

Many artists performed at the club including Bill Saxton (a Friday night regular), [4] Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole and Joe Grauso, among others. [5] Artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane used to visit the pub to relax after their own gigs. [6] During the early 1950s, the club was noted for its regular Phil Napoleon and The Original Memphis Five Dixieland performances. [7] Dick Hyman, a regular at the club, remembered the club's "Sizzling Steaks," a kitchen specialty, and the signature wall decor. “We used to put lit cigarettes in the mouths of the moose heads, which would drive the maitre d’s crazy,” Hyman recalled. The club had a bar which served soft drinks and alcohol. [8]

History

Nick's was founded by Nick Rongetti in 1922, after 4 previous attempts to open a jazz club in New York. Rongetti was known fondly for his love of Dixieland jazz, which helped the club in amassing a close ring of like-minded followers. Immediately, Dixieland became a staple of the club's sound (so much so that The New York Times once referred to the music as "Nicksieland"). The Nick's style was also influenced by the use of improvisation, as there was no printed music and there were "no rules" when it came to improvising. In the mid 1940s, the term "Nicksieland" was further popularized when Miff Mole, a frequent player at the club, formed an octet called "Miff Mole and his Nicksieland Band." [9] Mole's band consisted of members who played at Nick's frequently, including Bob Casey, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Ernie Caceres, Gene Schroeder, Joe Grauso and Pee Wee Russell. [10] They recorded multiple standards such as Peg o' my heart and At sundown.

By the late 1950s, Dixieland music had long since moved out of the public eye, as newer movements like Bebop, Hard bop and Modal jazz grew in popularity. Inevitably, Nick's gradual decline eventually brought it to collapse, and the club was finally closed on August 10th, 1963. The New York Times says, “After 27 years of making jazz history, the Greenwich Village landmark closed its doors Saturday night. With scarcely any public attention, the final chorus of ‘Tin Roof Blues’ blared out and the neon message ‘Sizzling Steaks’ went dark.”

Legacy

Nick's closure left a hole in the heart of Greenwich Village, but lived on in the memories of its musicians and patrons. Nick's Tavern was the first notable jazz club to open on 7th Street and helped to spread the influence of Dixieland jazz throughout Greenwich Village. It was purchased and replaced by another jazz club the following year "Your Father's Mustache," [11] which was eventually replaced again in 1976. Nick's helped to bring jazz to Greenwich Village where other Jazz clubs now prosper, such as The Village Vanguard [12] and Blue Note. [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Riverwalk Jazz - Stanford University Libraries". rwj-a.stanford.edu. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "52nd Street – New York's Hippest Street of All | Postcard History". 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  3. ↑ Walsh, Kevin (1999-09-27). "GREENWICH VILLAGE STREET NECROLOGY". Forgotten New York. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  4. ↑ Silverman, Brian (4 September 2007). Frommer's New York City 2008. John Wiley & Sons. p. 366. ISBN   978-0-470-14439-8.
  5. ↑ Brinkofski, Elizabeth Dodd (1 July 2013). New York City Jazz. Arcadia Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   978-0-7385-9914-4.
  6. ↑ Carroll, Myka (18 October 2012). New York City For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 271. ISBN   978-1-118-49540-7.
  7. ↑ "Phil Napoleon". Redhotjazz.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. ↑ Whittaker, Katie (2015-12-25). "Nick's Tavern, the Jazz Joint That Went Down Swinging". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  9. ↑ "Irving "Miff" Mole (1898-1961) - The Syncopated Times". 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  10. ↑ "Miff Mole and his World Jam Session Band". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  11. ↑ "Stories From Nick's: Joel Schiavone | riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu". riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  12. ↑ "Front Page". Village Vanguard. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  13. ↑ "About". Blue Note New York. Retrieved 2024-09-13.

40°44′3.9″N74°00′9.5″W / 40.734417°N 74.002639°W / 40.734417; -74.002639

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