There is no neutral way to play Coltrane material on the Vanguard stage, and Ravi Coltrane has spent a career finding an approach that is neither imitation nor avoidance. The club is a small triangular basement fifteen steps below Seventh Avenue South, so you are effectively in the band's living room. If you only do one jazz night in New York, a centennial week in the room where the records were made is the one to plan around.
What to expect
Two sets a night in a wedge-shaped basement with famously good acoustics and a strict no-talking convention. Seating is at small tables and along a bench, so arrive early if you want to be near the stage. Tickets for the run go on sale separately from the rest of the club's calendar.
Good to know
- 14 St / Seventh Ave (1 2 3) or Christopher St-Sheridan Sq (1) are both a short walk
- The room is tiny and lines form before doors, so come early for a good table
- Conversation during sets is genuinely frowned upon here
- Fifteen steps down from the street and no elevator, which matters for accessibility
- Later sets tend to be looser and less crowded than the first
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Common questions
Why is this a centennial?
John Coltrane was born in 1926, and the Vanguard is where he recorded the sessions released as Live at the Village Vanguard.
How many sets per night?
The Vanguard books two sets an evening for a week-long run.
More this weekend
