Smalls/Fat Cat: Where everyone knows your name
June 4th, 2006 by Abbey
One of the joys of living in the village is that you never really feel like you are in New York City. You have all the benefits of bars and restaurants staying open late, and yet you can still see the sky. Two of my favorite spots in the village are the cute modest jazz dive bar SMALLS and it’s sister bar FAT CAT. These exposed brick basement spaces house the best of the be-bop underground jazz scene.
They don’t start playing until 8pm, but when they get started they aren’t gonna quit until the wee morning hours. You’ll get to see heavies from around the world, including French bassist Francois Moutin, Candian saxophonist Grant Stewart and his drummer brother Phil Stewart, and of course the ever talented Ari Roland, Sasha Perry and William Ash. Don’t know these names? Well check them out. Fridays through Tuesdays are my favorite sections of the week, but you really never know who you are going to see play. The featured artists of the night tend to invite their friends onstage at the end of their gig, giving both pros and amateurs a chance to prove their musical worth. I’ve even been lucky enough to see Norah Jones perform on alternate Sunday nights at The Fat Cat. I continue to come back time and again, to the spots where everyone knows my name.