Comments (0) Best Club at Which to Suss Out Your Date's Manners - 2000
Small's
To descend the stairs into Small's—the smallest, cutest, coziest jazz club in New York—is, in any cultured punter or musician's code of ethics, to commit oneself to a certain zone, a particular frame of mind where socializing becomes less about chitchat and more about a common vibe. Nightly jam sessions for $10 from 10 p.m. (and usually free before 10 p.m.) consist of alternating groups of up-and-coming musicians exploring and developing. All that's for the audience to do is sip free juice and water or a few bring-your-own beers, and allow the music to become the occasion. Talk is cheap, unnecessary, and unappreciated, unless it's in whispers, and in admiration of the brilliance you see before you. Clapping after solos is essential, and snogging in the corner is permitted only if it's between pieces—or, if you just can't control it, coordinated with the rhythm of the room, subtly, almost like dancing.
