Overview
New York on Tap listed this bar without a review.
History
Folk, poetry and comedy first; jazz since 1957
The Village Vanguard started out booking folk music, poetry, comedy and revues, and switched to a primarily all-jazz format only in 19571. Owner Max Gordon had opened its doors at 178 Seventh Avenue on February 23, 19351.
On Sunday, June 25, 1961, a trio sat down for five sets that spanned an entire day and performed what would become a benchmark recording2.
When Max died in 1989, his wife closed the club for one day, reopened it the next and took over ownership and management3.
The basement club is still at 178 Seventh Avenue South and calls itself a stable and revered New York City landmark4. In October 2026 the bill was a Ravi Coltrane Centennial Celebration4, a centennial hosted by a club that is itself only ninety-one1.
Sources
Researched October 2026.