Piano and Bass at Mezzrow

Mezzrow is the quieter sibling of Smalls, a narrow piano room a few doors down West 10th Street run by the same team. Where Smalls swings hard, Mezzrow is built for duos and trios: a good piano, a bass, sometimes a singer or a guitar, and an audience close enough to hear the pedal. Pianist Spike Wilner, who co-runs both clubs, plays here often, and the programming favors the song-based side of jazz that bigger rooms rarely book.

Tickets are sold per set on the SmallsLIVE site, and seats are few, so book ahead for a weekend. Come for the early set if you want conversation afterward at a nearby bar, or the late one if you want the room at its most hushed. It works well as a date: the lighting is low, the volume is gentle, and nobody minds if you sit with one drink for a whole set. Shows are also streamed on SmallsLIVE.