Get an Insider’s Glimpse into Manhattan’s Historic Jazz Scene March 18, 2012

- Visit two drastically different jazz clubs on Manhattan’s West Side (cover charge included)
- Host Shirley Zafirau has been immersed in NYC’s jazz scene for the past 50 years
- Hear fascinating accounts of how jazz arrived and evolved in New York

Meet Shirley Zafirau, a woman who has been pursuing jazz into the early hours of the morning since the early 1960s. She’s witnessed the evolution of jazz in New York — from pop-up jam sessions at Harlem lofts and Miles Davis’ Upper West Side brownstone garden (they were neighbors for 20 years) to the gigs at clubs and concert halls throughout the city that are popular today.

Here’s your chance to experience jazz the way Shirley does. She’ll meet you outside the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem; telling her stories of the neighborhood’s history while you walk along the “Boulevard of Dreams” to an under-the-radar jazz club that boasts a Hammond B3 organ, some of the best soul food in the city and a lively bar. Shirley will then take you on the “A” train from jazz’s “brownstone basement” roots to its modern, polished presentation at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on the 5th Floor of the Time Warner Center.

See how far the jazz scene has evolved as you listen to famous jazz veterans and popular newcomers perform with spectacular view of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. With a soulful menu that combines down-home inspired dishes with New York sophistication, Dizzy’s is a favorite hang for musicians. You never know who you might see ordering a drink at the bar.

The end time is approximate, as jazz sets don’t always start on time. There is some walking at the start of the SideTour, so dress appropriately for the weather. Don’t forget your metrocard. Dizzy’s has a $10 food/drink minimum (we recommend their mac & cheese).