The Cantab Lounge

"Down Home Dive"

Price: Cheap ($5 cover charge)
Age restriction: 21+
Location: Cambridge
Accessibility: All ages that apply are welcome.

Your average local dive bar, the Cantab Lounge's pretty 40's style awning truly shows off the clubs age. Established in the 1930's, Cantab has always been know for its cheap cash bar and great live music. Like many of the older jazz clubs in Boston, Cantab is small in size but large in musical pleasure.

Cantab is the spot for college students who want a few drinks and excellent live music. The music acts vary from local jazz and bluegrass musicians to funk bands and the occasional Berklee School of Music student gigs. There are two levels of the Cantab Lounge, the main floor is where the cash bar and regular nightly entertainment take place while the basement is used for private parties and poetry slam nights. A very versatile venue, Cantab hosts various themes each night. Poetry slam nights, Bluegrass night (Cantab's specialty), Afrikaans night (Berklee kids), and other great live acts on the weekends. 

The only thing missing at Cantab is food, there is no food served at Cantab, in fact, the club encourages its guests to "BYOF," Bring Your Own Food.

Wally's Jazz Cafe

"An Old Scene for the Older"

Price: Affordable
Age restriction: 21+
Location: South End
Accessibility: All ages that apply are welcome, no cover charge, near Symphony T stop.

One of the oldest jazz clubs in Boston, established in 1947, Wally's Jazz Cafe has managed to still thrive over the years. Although its location has changed from its original position on Massachusetts Avenue, Wally's still maintains its historic value in Boston. Founded by Joseph L. Walcott, Wally's Jazz Cafe was the first African American owned nightclub in New England. Mr. Walcott brought many well known jazz musicians and talented jazz acts to his venue.

Wally's is known for it's many student performances, "during the day it is pretty much a practice space or a training ground, rather, for many of the student bands that have gigs here," says Elynor Walcott, daughter of the late Mr. Walcott and owner of Wally's. Many of the student jazz musicians are from Berklee School of Music and New England Conservatory. The place seems to give off a feeling of 'home' for budding jazz musicians and the music lovers that frequent the venue.

So why not Wally's? Well, the cafe is only open to those ages 21 and over which puts many students at a disadvantage (unless you can play a mean saxophone rhythm then you can work something out). As for those students who are not as musically talented and have a taste for jazz music, this place is off limits until they turn 21. This seems practical because the establishment has a full bar which is opened from 11 am to 2 am. The age restriction is probably also in place to lessen the crampness of the jazz hot spot. Wally's is known for its standing room only set up but the music, diversity, and history of the joint makes up for this fault greatly!

The Beehive

Prices: Rather pricey

Age restriction: None but not recommended for under 21 during late on weekends

Location: South Boston

Accessibility: 10 minute walk to either bus or T-stop

The Beehive is both an eatery and bar that also houses live jazz musician and bands. From the virtual tour my personal impression of the venues is very hip and very image/brand oriented. The décor is very artsy and elegant but then there are also hints at a grunge feel from the exposed brick and the eclectic choice of art.

 According to Tiffany Z. a member of Yelp.com (a social networking, user review, and local search web site), the Beehive is “a great dinner and live music spot with a semi-classy and lively (but not loud) atmosphere.”

Type of jazz scene and subgenres:

Kyle Nasser Band -Jazz

Florencia Gonzalez- Candombe Project -African Bantu roots

Musaner – Armenian folk

ZILI MISIK - Haitian mizik rasin, jazz, roots reggae, samba, Cuban son, and neo soul

Bobby Keyes - Electric roots, blues and jazz

 From the above musicians, it is apparent that the type of jazz scene is progressive jazz. Including many different types of subgenres and twists to jazz. 

To get to the Beehive one must either have a car or not mind a ten-minute walk to the closest T or bus station, accessibility in this sense is manageable. In another sense, this place is accessible to college students given that there is no imposed restriction on age, yet much of the buzz around this venue is about the “great drinks” according to Aubrey r. There is no cover charge which further opens up the venue to strapped for cash college students, yet the drink and food prices are steep and render this place rather inaccessible to the everyday college student. One can get a main dish ranging from Spanish Paprika chicken for $23 (the cheapest) to Blackened Ribeye Steak Frites with Cognac Sauce for $29.5.

Having to pay for drink and a filling meal in addition to both bus and T-fare to get to the Beehive the experience would have to be phenomenal to outweigh breaking the bank.

Ryle's Jazz Club

Price: Affordable

 

Age restriction: None

Location: Cambridge 

Accessibility: nearly 12 minute walk to closest Tstop

The Ryle’s Jazz club is intimately set up with two floors, one playing latin dance party music and the downstairs playing jazz. RylesJazz.com describe themselves as an “authentic and sophisticated” establishment. According to Ellie W. from Yelp.com she recalls “The place itself has a somewhat old school vibe. From what I remember, the interior is red, black, and white, and the tables have little ticket stubs and illustrations of old jazz musicians on them.”

The outside of the venue is painted black helping the establishment stand out against the color of concrete. Located well into Cambridge on Hampshire street it is easily accessible by car yet like most college students living in Boston, they do not own cars but use the MBTA for transportation.

Mitches Traditional BBQ serves the food at Ryle’s and for the most part is affordable: BBQ sandwiches are $9.95.

The 12-minute walk might de daunting, but it gains accessibility with other elements such as the prices being affordable and there is no apparent age restriction. For a night out on the weekends, college students might readily flock here given the lower rung prices, the laid back vibes and the quality jazz. 

 

Type of jazz scene and subgenres

The Boston Horns

Yoko Miwa

Tomoko Omura

Bill Champitto Group

Mike Tucker

Regattabar Jazz Club

Prices: High

Age restriction: All ages

Location: Cambridge

Accessibility: 6 minutes walk to the T, 20 minutes from Downtown Boston

The Regattabar Jazz Club is located inside the Charles Hotel which if anything can give you a sense of what the venue is like which is classy. The feel of the place is very open and elegant. The venue is floor to ceiling with windows overlooking Harvard Square and the table have elaborate flower bouquet arrangements. An open and classy atmosphere to enjoy the greatest jazz acts. I could see this being a romantic dinner  snack and entertainment destination. Yet behold there is a misleading service bar and terribly slow service.

On Yelp.com at least there were a handful of negatively charged reviews. There were no issues with the jazz shows but rather the service was poor. 

Jamie L. from Yelp.com says, "Forget about service, it's not going to happen."

This place while being all ages is still inaccessible to the college crowd. It is rather restricted to more serious jazz lovers with money to spend on $20 and $45 tickets for the jazz sets.  Also the food menu is sparse and a turkey sandwich with Boursin spread and sprouts served with potato chips is a whopping $13.

                

Darryl's Corner Bar and Kitchen

 Prices: Moderately Pricey

Age restriction: Restaurant first so no age restriction but under 21 not recommended late on weekends

Location: Columbus Ave, Boston

Accessibility: 2 minutes from bus/Tstop

The motto of Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen is that it is an “intersection of friend, food and music.” From observing the place and the set up this Corner Bar and Kitchen has a modern feel but is still very inviting. The wood panels and the eggshell counter tops give a very sophisticated feel to the place. It is definitely not somewhere to show up in one's college's sweats in.
A great place to listen to some good jazz along with a good meal. The food was not raved about on numerous eatery websites but I did noticed the ambiance had been praised repeatedly.

In terms of accessibility, there was no indication of any age restrictions on the website and so after a brief inquiry on my part, the responded with the following: “We are a restaurant first, and so there are no age restrictions. However the late night after midnight on Friday and Saturdays it would not be recommended for anyone under the age of 21.” So while there are no formal restrictions on age, it is advised that none under 21 should be there after midnight. The barriers of entry include a $3 cover charge, a reasonably priced menu with burgers for $10. As for location, it is conveniently located nearly 2 minutes from a bus/orange T station and 5 minutes from a green T station.

Type of jazz scene:

Ellen O’Brien Jazz Quartet


Jazz Urbane Project

Banfield’s B-day Party

Manguito – (Latin Band – David)


Valerie Stephens


Pat Loomis Jazz Quartet


Athene Wilson


Elevation Theory           

Sculler's Jazz Club

Sculler's Jazz Club
An Authentic Jazz Club for Boston Tourists

Price: Expensive
Age restriction: All Ages
Location: Double Tree Hotel, Allston
Accessibility: Great for hotel guests or people willing to pay $10 for valet parking

Sculler's prides itself in it's 'authentic' jazz scene feel.  Opened in 1989 in the Allston Double Tree, Sculler's has hosted jazz greats in the likes of Harry Connick Jr and Michael Bublé.  Don't get me wrong, some Sculler's has hosted the iconic Wynton Marsalis, and other serious jazz veterans.  Located on an urban island, seperated from the mainland by the Mass Pike, and far from the nearest T station,  Sculler's is realistically accessible to Double Tree guests and those in possession of a car.  Location isn't the only factor in a college student's thought process, although the club is an "all-ages" venue, prices are way out of most student's budgets.  $10 parking and $38 a plate pricing add to an expensive night.  If you happen to be of age and only want a drink, ticket prices without a meal hover around $25-30 and a beer costs $8.  The club itself is a touristy 'jazz club.'  Dimly lit, white wallpaper, a small satin curtain-bound stage, and candle lit cocktail tables distributed around the floor.  The atmosphere doesn't really scream 'authentic' quite as much as its owners make it up to be.

Berklee Performance Center

Berklee Performance Center at the Berklee College of Music

Price: Free - Cheap
Age restriction: All Ages
Location: Berklee College of Music, Boylston Street three blocks west of the Prudential Center
Accessibility: Box-office pre-order, Walk-in

The Berklee Performance Center is one of Boston's few large-scale music halls with a focus in jazz and student accessibility.  Located just blocks west of the Prudential Center on Boston's main drag, Boylston Street, there aren't many people who can honestly say BPC is out of the way.  Because the Performance Center is owned and operated by Berklee College of Music, the venue is orientated to the jazz loving student, or senior citizen.  Berklee students or students at Pro-Arts Consortium participating schools enjoy no ticket charges if a ticket is picked up at the box office two weeks prior to the show.  Heard about the senior showcase of Coltrane Covers too late? Don't fret, just flash your Berklee or Pro-Arts Consortium school ID at the door and you get the senior citizen rate of a whopping $2.  Don't go to a Pro-Arts participating school? That's okay too, the maximum ticket price is still only $5.  The Performance Center is a great place to go catch a student band play for a passing grade in their Modal Jazz class, or see a cheap rendition of Wynton Marsalis' Chambers of Tain.  But if it's authentic Boston Jazz you're looking for, keep looking.

New England Conservatory

"New England Waiting Room For the '21 & UNDER'"

Price:   FREE
Age restriction:    All ages
Location:    Symphony area of Boston, close to the Green Line
Accessibility:    All welcome, Walk-In

Special Guest performance at New England Conservatory

Conveniently located in the Symphony section of Boston, the hub for world class entertainment in Boston, The New England Conservatory is the place to go to hear music from budding artists. Unlike Berklee School of Music, NEC focuses less on highlighting specific talented students and more on groups of students creating music together. Thus, you will notice that they regularly showcase orchestras and bands. When you think of a music conservatory, you mainly think about a very technical and tradition type of jazz and classical music. This is not the case with NEC. You can hear everything form hip hop, to funk, to jazz, to even electronic sounds. Conservatory in this sense is just used to highlight the exemplary and first class quality of learning that the institute provides.

If you enjoy sitting down and listening to music in silence then you will surely enjoy the free student workshops and concerts that NEC offers. Did you say student workshops? Yes, the daily showcases and concerts are often student and/or faculty workshops and don't worry, all the performers are highly trained. The setting of these student workshops are often quite dull, the performance space does not have a stage so it is surely and intimate setting although, the performance hall lacks any other aesthetics to make the space more appealing. There are no refreshments or beverages served, this is strictly a performance venue and nothing more. The crowd usually consists of friends and family of the performers, professors from NEC or other schools, and a few walk in visitors. Quite frankly, the performances might as well be held in a gazebo in the Boston Common or something of the like. The crowd seems to come and go, people leave in the middle of a piece to go to other engagements or just to leave. This setting requires no commitment unless you promised your best friend you would come to their performance that night.

Open to all ages, NEC is among the limited jazz venues accessible to colleges students under 21. A kosher and free alternative to the other jazz scenes that Boston offers, NEC is a great venue to visit  for those just passing through the area or looking for free things to do in Boston. For the romantic and frugal types, this place is also a great for 'dates-on-a-dime' and quiet romantic evenings.

Lucky's Lounge, Den of Cocktail Cool

Lucky's Lounge

Price: Cheap-Moderate
Age restriction: 21+
Location: The Waterfront, South Boston
Accessibility: No accessibility for college students ages 18-20

Description:

Lucky's Lounge

From the outside, Lucky's looks like a mysteriously unnerving dive bar. Located in South Boston's historic Waterfront, you don't get the same sense of security you would at a place located in Harvard Square. Once inside however, you instantly feel like you were transported to a 1920's speakeasy, close quarters, basement style, and dimly lit. However the warm toned paint on the walls, and the good-times swing music, make the environment a great place to grab a drink, have some food, and make some friends. The 21+ age restriction seems to be in good reason. The bar, although inviting, isn't located in one of the best areas, and its out of the way from most of Boston's colleges. If you're over 21 and are in good company, the bar is a great place to hang out and enjoy some of Boston's best local swing and jazz musicians.

Still feelin' Lucky? The club's bleak exterior.