Nick's

For other uses, see Nick (disambiguation).
Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole, and Joe Grauso, Nick's of New York City in June 1946

Nick's (Nick's Tavern) was a tavern and jazz club located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of the borough in Manhattan, New York City,[1] which peaked in popularity during the 1940s and 1950s. It was notable for its position, because most popular jazz clubs at this time were located on 52nd street.[2] Nick's, however, was placed on an unusually-shaped property[3] off the northwest corner of 10th Street and 7th Avenue.

Ernie Caceres, Bobby Hackett, Freddie Ohms, and George Wettling, Nick's of New York City between 1946 and 1948

Many artists performed at the club including Bill Saxton (a Friday night regular),[4] Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole and Joe Grauso, among others.[5] Artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane used to visit the pub to relax after their own gigs.[6] During the early 1950s, the club was noted for its regular Phil Napoleon and The Original Memphis Five Dixieland performances.[7] Dick Hyman, a regular at the club, remembered the club's "Sizzling Steaks," a kitchen specialty, and the signature wall decor. “We used to put lit cigarettes in the mouths of the moose heads, which would drive the maitre d’s crazy,” Hyman recalled. The club had a bar which served soft drinks and alcohol.[8]

  1. ^ "Riverwalk Jazz - Stanford University Libraries". rwj-a.stanford.edu. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  2. ^ "52nd Street – New York's Hippest Street of All | Postcard History". 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  3. ^ Walsh, Kevin (1999-09-27). "GREENWICH VILLAGE STREET NECROLOGY". Forgotten New York. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  4. ^ Silverman, Brian (4 September 2007). Frommer's New York City 2008. John Wiley & Sons. p. 366. ISBN 978-0-470-14439-8.
  5. ^ Brinkofski, Elizabeth Dodd (1 July 2013). New York City Jazz. Arcadia Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7385-9914-4.
  6. ^ Carroll, Myka (18 October 2012). New York City For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-118-49540-7.
  7. ^ "Phil Napoleon". Redhotjazz.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. ^ Whittaker, Katie (2015-12-25). "Nick's Tavern, the Jazz Joint That Went Down Swinging". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved 2024-09-12.