Big Apple Jazz Tours - Now celebrating 20 years of service.

Gordon Polatnick started the company to share his love of the hidden jazz haunts of Harlem and Greenwich Village with intimate groups of music lovers.

There is no company in New York with more intimate knowledge of the music scene. Every day we call around to discover the hottest bands playing and then we set up our itinerary of 3 hidden clubs per night and get right up front.

Harlem Juke Joints Tour - 5 hours

Our most popular tour for the last 20 years. An immersion into the heart of the Harlem Jazz and Blues Scene. INCLUDED: Music Charges / Transportation.

A great night out in Harlem with someone who is part of the uptown scene. If you’ve ever been curious about what’s really going on in Harlem after dark, this is the walking tour for you!

INCLUDED:
You'll visit 3 hidden jazz haunts for hours of live music.
Along the way you'll make stops throughout the tour to see and hear about Harlem's storied past and current scene. Music charges at 3 clubs, and transportation charges are included. Start and end the tour conveniently in Midtown Manhattan.

HISTORY:
You'll learn about the Apollo, Cotton Club, Savoy Ballroom and Minton's Playhouse, which all played pivotal roles in the development of jazz and brought the world's attention to Harlem during the Prohibition Era and beyond.

AUTHENTIC:
Your jazz guide knows all the neighborhood's most intimate Juke Joints (i.e. local hang outs for live music and good times), and will share the insider’s view with you.

You'll relax and enjoy the scene at a minimum of two clubs, (but most tours visit three), for a hand-picked variety of swinging live jazz while avoiding the tourist traps.

INTIMATE:
It's important to get the authentic feel for a neighborhood, so this is a subway/taxi/walking tour that is limited to the first 8 people to sign up (exceptions can sometimes be made). If you want to enjoy yourself and learn about Harlem without feeling like just another outsider peeking in, then you have found the right tour for you. That is what we are all about.

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