Alone in the annals of the New York jazz scene, the Village Vanguard still lives on as the revered "boit de nuit" that it was when Max Gordon tended to it every night from its opening in 1934 to his death in 1989. A small triangular shaped basement room in Greenwich Village, I remember fondly the first time I descended that famous narrow staircase in 1963. Everything about the club looked too small. How could this dark space with a low ceiling and tables the size of checkerboards- a place that might house a family of trolls be the apogee of the greatest cultural force that America has ever produced. Of course, that diminutive size along with its triangular shape gives the Vanguard an acoustic quality that seems to set a standard for what jazz should sound like in an intimate setting. It is one of the reasons that probably more jazz has been recorded "Live at the Village Vanguard" (the unequalled Bill Evans trio sessions, Coltrane's last recordings come immediately to mind) than at any other venue on the face of the Earth.

I recall that primal excitement at being at the epicenter of hipness-an affirmation of a romance that begun several years earlier and continues unabated today. Miles was there that night- at the height of his powers and "attitude"- in fact he played most of the first set hidden behind a velvet curtain: when he did come out, he barked some unmentionable remarks to Herbie Hancock who had just finished one of the most beautiful solos I had ever heard. Never in my sixteen years on the planet had I come to feeling that I was so close to where it really was at---this small corner of the world where a black prince played the most wondrous abstractions from behind a red velvet curtain to an enraptured audience

The Vanguard has always had a seven night a week policy with the feature group playing Tuesday through Sunday and Mondays being reserved for a resident big band. For almost twenty years the Thad Jones- Mel Lewis big band played on Mondays and some of the great session players cut their chops in that band over the years. (a 1965 recording lists Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, Bob Brookmeyer, Roland Hanna, Richard Davis among others). These days, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra resides on Mondays and the sound of a a fifteen piece big band blowing on that miniscule bandstand remains one of the truly astonishing sounds to be heard anywhere. In recent weeks, Kenny Baron's played a two week stint with Buster Williams on bass and Ben Riley on drums with guest artist Gary Bartz on alto saxophone (whose reemergence over the past year reveals him to be one of the truly great saxophonists to be playing today). Currently, Bobby Watson and his group are in for the week.

After Max's death, his widow Lorraine took it upon herself to continue to run the Vanguard in the same manner as it has been run since 1934. She now shows up at around three in the afternoon to make sure all the details are in order for the club's ten o'clock opening. On a recent evening in December, I descended that staircase to hear the Michel Petrucciani trio. As in many times over the years, I felt that sense of excitement and expectation that somehow continues to permeate the room. And I wondered at the fact that in this world of turmoil, change and transition, this small dark basement club defines for me a place where continuity and permanence still exist.

For those of you making the pilgrimage to New York, the following information may be of use. There are two wonderful jazz radio stations in the area both on the FM band: 88.3 WBGO has 24 hour jazz programming: 89.9 WKCR is the station of Columbia University and has excellent jazz during the day. For 24 hour jazz listing call the Jazzline at 718-465-7500. In terms of newspapers for reviews and listings, the best bet is the venerable Village Voice, published weekly and available at any newsstand.

(Alan Green is a New York based art dealer, jazz fan, writer, and pianist. He is happy to receive comments or questions)