Corkboard: Baltimore's jazz and blues bars
Readers, where are the best jazz and blues bars in Baltimore? Jana, a reader, wants to know.
She writes:
I'm hoping you'll take the time to recommend your favorite blues/jazz venues in Baltimore. I live in DC and know all the places here, but am at a total loss up there - would love to have a place to take my husband for his birthday.
There are several established choices for Jana. There's Club 347, right near the newsroom, which opened in 2005 and hosts regular jam sessions Monday and Tuesday nights.
Established jazz musicians also perform at An Die Musik on a regular basis. Honey Ear Trio, which mix rock, jazz and soul, will release their new CD there on Saturday.
Where else should Jana go?
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
There is seriously not much by the way of jazz in Baltimore, not sure about blues but I'm guessing it's the same. There's Bobby's Jazz and Cigar Bar in Pigtown/South Baltimore and the Caton Castle in SW Baltimore. New Haven Lounge was supposed to be great but I think is closed now. Cat's Eye in Fells has blues I believe.
Posted by: JH | April 21, 2011 2:26 PM
There's Chef Mac's And All That Blues in Lauraville (4709 Harford Rd).
http://www.chefmacs.com/events.html
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-04-08/entertainment/bs-ae-restrev-chefmac-20110405_1_buffet-restaurant-review-blues
Posted by: Rob | April 21, 2011 5:00 PM
Bertha's for Blues.
Posted by: FrankieSez | April 22, 2011 3:06 PM
There's actually a lot more blues and jazz out there in Baltimore than people think.
The McTell Brothers play tonight - they are 15-year-old twins who play incredible blues guitar - they're at Peter's Pour House downtown at 111 Mercer, corner of Water + Grant - tonight at 9 - no cover. (it's just north of the CVS on Lombard + St. Paul). They have a monthly residency there, and play other locations and festivals in Baltimore and D.C. regularly.
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169004893155394#!/mctellbrothers
There are lots of options in Station North Arts District, Windup Space has jazz regularly:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169004893155394#!/pages/The-Windup-Space/40942699251
At Joe Squared, you can eat and hear music, sometimes jazz:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169004893155394#!/joesquared
Cyclops has regular music, sometimes it's jazz and blues - and also carries jazz and blues books
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169004893155394#!/CyclopsBmore
And, Bohemian Coffee House has Sunday jazz brunch in the afternoon, and jazz other times as well:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169004893155394#!/pages/Bohemian-Coffee-House/155230394493491
Not far from Station North is the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center:
http://www.eubieblake.org/
Also there's the Billie Holiday statue:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-07-17/news/0907160099_1_billie-holiday-reid-jim-crow
Also for the visiting music lover and all you locals - Saturday 14 May is Let's Eat! Charles Street, which will have at least one jazz band plus The McTell Brothers, along with many Charles Street restaurants and local artists. It's in the 300 block of North Charles near downtown from 12 noon to 5 pm.
Posted by: Andy | April 22, 2011 5:42 PM
The Cat's Eye Pub. End of story.
Posted by: Patrick | April 23, 2011 4:48 PM
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=baltimore+jazz
Posted by: drinky crow | April 25, 2011 3:45 PM
Really people. You need to get out. Cat's Eye Pub has blues and jazz every night of the year! And it's AWESOME!
Posted by: galen | April 26, 2011 1:40 PM