Best jazz bargains

55 Bar
This comfortable prewar Christopher Street basement features music seven nights a week, ranging from hard-driving postbop to slick fusion grooves. Early sets at 6 or 7pm are free; late sets typically run you $10 to $15.
55 Christopher St at Seventh Ave South (212-929-9883)

Smalls
You might encounter legendary old-timers or freshly arrived aspirants at this cozy hang; on the best nights you might even find them working together. It’s always $20 to get in, and every night but Friday and Saturday your first drink is covered by that charge too.
183 W 10th St between Seventh Ave South and W 4th St (212-675-7369)

Cornelia Street Café
Many a well-known bandleader has come to this West Village basement to work out new ideas in front of a small, intensely focused audience. Cover is typically $10 to $15, plus a one-drink minimum you’ll have no trouble meeting.
29 Cornelia St between Bleecker and W 4th Sts (212-989-9319)

Monday nights at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
It’s tough to find a bargain at the city’s marquee jazz clubs, but if you’re keen to sample the refined vibe and spectacular park view at this Lincoln Center nightspot, the Monday-night “Upstarts” series, featuring rising stars and solid sidemen, will set you back only $20 to $25.
Broadway at 60th St (212-258-9595)

The Stone
If you’ve got a taste for adventure and a hole in your pocket, head east—way east—to the Stone, John Zorn’s no-frills musical laboratory in Alphabet City. For just $10 a night (and sometimes even less), you can tap into the latest developments from the city’s storied downtown avant-garde scene. No drinks, no tchotchkes, just music.
Ave C at 2nd St, Lower East Side (no phone)

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