Richie Cannata's Monday Night Jam
The Bitter End147 Bleecker Street, New York 10012
Richie Cannata’s Monday Night Jam comes to The Bitter End for an open-mic jam that Cannata helped launch more than 20 years ago. The listing does not name a band lineup or specify which musicians will join him, so the night is best understood as a standing Monday session shaped by the players who turn up, rather than a billed set by a fixed group.
Cannata is a New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn and then Long Island, whose forte is tenor saxophone. His career includes work with Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, the Beach Boys and Bernie Williams, among others. That history gives the jam a seasoned host, while the session itself leaves room for the unidentified musicians who take part on the night.
The Bitter End has been a fixture of Greenwich Village since 1961, known as one of New York City's oldest rock clubs. It's a modest basement club with a stage and a bar, where the audience sits close to the performers. The room has exposed brick walls and a rustic feel, and the atmosphere is warm and conversational. Shows are typically ticketed with a small cover charge, and the evening combines listening to live music with casual conversation and drinks. The venue has hosted legends like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, and continues to be a place where songwriters and musicians share new material. It's a steady, reliable spot for live music in the city.