Richie Cannata's Monday Night Jam
The Bitter End147 Bleecker Street, New York 10012
Richie Cannata’s Monday Night Jam brings its open-ended, spontaneous format to The Bitter End on December 28. Cannata hosts the session, but no individual performers or fixed lineup are named for this date, so the night is best understood as a jam rather than a set by a standing band. The available description points to musicians joining from around the world and music that can move across genres, with the particular combinations and material left to the players in the room.
Cannata is known as a former Billy Joel saxophonist and as the host of one of New York’s longest continuously running jam sessions. That history gives the Monday night gathering its identity: an ongoing forum built around visiting and returning players rather than a prescribed roster or repertoire. The available accounts call it an informal session and describe it as featuring “some of the finest talent anywhere,” though they do not identify the musicians scheduled to appear here or provide independent reviews of the project. What is established is Cannata’s role as host and the session’s long-running place in New York live music.
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.