Art Bailey
Arthur's Tavern57 Grove Street, New York 10014
Art Bailey leads a jazz piano trio at Arthur’s Tavern, his first appearance there as a leader. The set moves through familiar and less familiar American Song Book material, classic jazz standards, and Bailey’s own compositions. It also brings a regular Arthur’s presence into a new context: for the past several years, Bailey has been part of the Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band, the group that has played the club every Sunday since 1986.
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Bailey arrived in New York City in 2003 and quickly became a sought-after sideman on piano, organ, and accordion. His collaborators and recording credits include Itzhak Perlman, Steve Turre, Steve Lacy, Kirk Knuffke, Guy Klucevsek, Matt Wilson, Adam Nussbaum, Andy Gonzales, and Elliot Zigmund. Bailey is the youngest member of the Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band, whose long-running Arthur’s engagement draws on Dixieland and swing jazz of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. This date puts his affinity for the piano-trio format forward, balancing the standards repertoire with his own writing.
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.