The Grove Street Stompers
Arthur's Tavern57 Grove Street, New York 10014
The Grove Street Stompers bring their six-piece traditional-jazz band to Arthur’s Tavern for a set rooted in Dixieland, New Orleans and swing. Led by trombonist Peter Ballance, who has been with the group since the 1970s, the band is known for the long-running Monday-night engagement that has made it a continuing part of the club’s musical life.
A New York City-based, Chicago-styled Dixieland band, the Stompers have played Arthur’s every Monday since 1962. Their original pianist and leader, Bill Dunham, led the group until his death in 2016. Over the years, musicians including Pete Fountain, Wild Bill Davison, Tony Parenti, Bob Wilbur and Ed Polcer have sat in, alongside singers Barbara Lea and Laurel Watson. The Wall Street Journal called the residency a “50-year feat of endurance and consistency virtually unmatched in the city’s musical history.” The New York Times heard “free-wheeling traditional jazz” whose enthusiasm “frequently generates dancing,” and later praised the group’s “loose, relaxed swing” and surprisingly crisp ensemble playing.
Arthur's Tavern is a basement club in the West Village where jazz, Latin, and blues are played with deep roots and modern energy. The stage is small, the room intimate, and the audience sits close to the musicians, often with a few people standing near the back. Shows start around 5 PM and go late, with some sets extending into the early hours. The club has a history of hosting top-tier performers since 2001, including regular appearances by Yuichi Hirakawa Jazz Group. It's a place where music is the center, and conversation flows naturally between the audience and the performers.