Close Up

Three New NYC Jazz Clubs

"On the Lower East Side, Close Up—opened in June 2024 by filmmaker Daniel Gaynor and business partner Solomon Gottfried—deliberately feels like an impromptu get-together: it is unapologetically music-forward with a front bar and a separate dimly lit room for bands where voices are hushed so the music takes precedence; the space has presented longtime players such as drummer Andrew Cyrille and experimental acts like trumpeter Peter Evans (including a recent “doom-metal” set), and this year alone has hosted more than 550 performances with two one-hour sets, a late-night set, and a jam session six nights a week." - Megan Krigbaum