Jazz is Alive and Well in NY: A Jazzcultural Friday

Jazz clubs and communities are two very different things, yet Spike Wilner has managed to perfect the formula to meld them into one.  The noted proprietor and pianist has long been creating and maintaining hospitable environments for the music and the musicians—at Smalls, the best jazz basement in the business, and Mezzrow, its complementary piano haven with a more intimate vibe. And back in March of 2026, he branched out uptown, to West 46th Street, with Jazzcultural.  

Adopting the late Barry Harris as guiding spirit for the space, using his Jazz Cultural Theatre as partial inspiration, and borrowing his banner motto—"Jazz is alive and well in New York"—Wilner has gone on to illuminate their truths:  Jazzcultural has become a midtown magnet for listeners and performers.  Not just a club, but a community.  Dropping in at the tail end of an afternoon jam, this writer found a packed cafe with an attentive audience and eager musicians. Guitarist Panas Athanatos was ably leading a round robin session with musicians like vocalist Simona Daniele and trombonist Ron Wikins weaving in and out of the mix.  And listeners were sipping espressos, wine or soda while soaking in the agreeable sounds.    

A few hours later, having bounced around midtown to hear a few other things, I returned to see a solid hang outside. Janice Friedman was rolling through an engaging train medley on solo piano just inside the doors.  And a short while later, in the 100-seat theater/main room, pianist Eric Scott Reed was delivering the goods in the second set with his quartet featuring saxophonist Stacy Dillard, bassist Danton Boller, and drummer Willie Jones III.  Whether telling stories, unspooling originals or painting personal takes on classics from the likes of Dizzy Gillespie or Thelonious Monk, Reed was completely in his element. Had I not had other plans, I could've continued listening late into the night there, as Johnny O'Neal was set to take over the stage with a trio for a birthday celebration.  

Shortly before Jazzcultural opened, Wilner took to Facebook and asked a question within the larger context of his post:  "Why does jazz survive and last in this banal and evil time? Because it is the true power of the Human Spirit. By spontaneously creating music together with joy and seriousness, we come together in prayer. The jazz musician is a spiritualist who strives for personal excellence and to serve the greater power of a tradition that spans back more than 130 years. New York has always been the hub. I've said it before, but with the exception of COVID, this tradition in New York has been continuous and unbroken since Scott Joplin moved to Harlem. JAZZ IS ALIVE AND WELL IN NEW YORK!"  Yes, indeed. And if one solitary Friday at Jazzcultural had all of this to offer, just consider what the weeks and months and years will bring...