New York's Hottest New Club Has Arrived

Martin Porter's life has revolved around jazz from an early age. Growing up playing jazz piano and listening to the greats, he eventually found himself living out a dream—working at the Jazz Standard, one of the city's premier jazz clubs. The closing of the Standard left a void in New York's jazz community—one that Martin Porter was determined to help fill. Along with his partner, he did just that with the opening of their new club, The Pocket. During the Newport Jazz Festival, All About Jazz had the opportunity to sit down with Martin and talk about his journey, his passion for jazz, and the vision behind The Pocket.

All About Jazz: Martin, why don't you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about yourself, your history with jazz clubs, and your new club, The Pocket.

Martin Porter: Sure. I grew up in Cleveland, where I learned to play piano. I moved to New York as soon as I was old enough to do so. In 2011, I was in a bad car accident and realized I couldn't play piano anymore, so I shifted to running jazz clubs.

In a very lucky turn of events, I was hired by Seth Abramson at Jazz Standard. I worked closely with Seth and manager Grant Gardner until the club closed in 2020. I started working with nonprofits, but I kept getting calls: "Hey, what's going on? Is there going to be a new jazz club?"

So I thought, maybe it's time to start a new jazz club. Nobody liked the idea of Jazz Standard closing. It was a place that appreciated musicians, had good food, and was comfortable for everyone who came through the door.

I called Grant Gardner, told him my idea for a new jazz club, and we decided, "I guess we're starting a jazz club." That was in 2020, and six years later, here we are. We just opened in June.

AAJ: The name of the club?

MP: The Pocket Jazz Club.

AAJ: Tell me about it.

MP: It's a 170-seat club with great food and drink, seven nights a week, and two shows a night. Eventually, we're going to go late. We have a 4 a.m. liquor license, so we're going to try to make it the hang.

We're in Midtown on 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. We're trying to make it a haven for music that makes you tap your feet.

AAJ: How has the response been?

MP: Great. People leave happy every night. There's good food, good music, the room sounds great, the musicians are comfortable, and the waitstaff is the best. It just feels comfortable.

Getting back to the food for a minute, we have an unbelievable chef. The food is real New York: oysters, steak, really good stuff. We also give a nod to other jazz cities. We have a muffaletta salad from New Orleans and Kansas City cuts of meat. It's all delicious, from snacks to full entrées.

AAJ: You're competing with some established clubs like Smoke Jazz Club, Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Mezzrow, just to name a few. Is there room for another club?

MP: I think it's good to have multiple choices. It was a tough summer for everyone. FIFA and the Knicks made it hard for everyone to compete with.

We're filling the gap that was left by Jazz Standard, and there's a big appetite for jazz in the city right now. A lot of folks want to come out and have a good time. There are a lot of places that do live music that are full every night. People can't get into the Vanguard these days. It's overflow; it's keeping the audience warm.

There are times right now when people are like, "Maybe we should go see a jazz show." I don't know why. I don't know if it's because of Jon Batiste the Pixar movie Soul, Samara Joy, Laufey or a million other reasons. Whatever the reason, if we can get them in and make them feel comfortable and welcome, we've got them. They'll come back.

So that's the plan: Come in, be greeted with a smile and a nice drink, and listen to some great music.

AAJ: What's your demographic?

MP: It's varied. It's audience artist-dependent, of course. We have a lot more younger folks than I thought we would have. It's not just your classic lifer jazz fan.

You can come to our place and get a bottle of champagne and a steak dinner, but you can also come and get a beer and fries. Everyone is treated the same. You can just stop by and hear the music. If you're trying to see two sets and have a three-hour night out, you can do it with us.

AAJ: I want to jump back to Cleveland. Tell me more about how this love affair with jazz started.

MP: Sure. I started playing classical music, and seven-or eight-year-old me was just bored out of his mind. Everyone saw me kind of trailing off into the distance.

I was taking lessons at the Music Settlement, and across the hall from my music room somebody was playing jazz. My teacher saw my interest and suggested I try it, and I was hooked. I got into records and was totally addicted to jazz, listening constantly.

AAJ: Who did you listen to?

MP: Man, everyone! I started a little more traditionally with Clifford Brown, Bud Powell, and Duke Ellington. Then I moved on to Monk, Ornette Coleman—the sky's the limit. Every type of jazz from 1900 to 2000.

AAJ: Was anybody else in the family musical?

MP: Absolutely not! I always said my mother couldn't carry a tune in a wheelbarrow. But she read that music was good for a child's development, so it was important to her that I play.

AAJ: Who have you had perform at the club, and what's coming up?

MP: We've had an amazing first couple of months. We opened June 1 with the Mingus Big Band with David Kikoski on piano. Our grand opening on June 22 was Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for two nights.

We've had Joel Ross with Chris Potter and Miguel Zenon We've had Lakecia Benjamin, Carmen Lundy, Donald Harrison and George Coleman. Really great artists.

On Mondays, we have the Mingus Big Band, continuing the tradition of the Standard. Then on Tuesdays, we have the Arturo O'Farrill Latin Jazz Orchestra.

AAJ: Will you have an open-mic jam night or any other special programs?

MP: Right now, we're just trying to get settled so we can keep the lights on. Then we'll expand into late nights, early shows, brunch, and so on.

We call it The Pocket. My thing is, I love improvisation and flexibility in the moment. I think that's what live music is. I don't want people sounding like robots onstage. If it's flexible and improvised and it makes me tap my foot, that's the pocket.

So, is it jazz? Sure. Is it Latin music? Sure. But also hip-hop, soul music, funk. If it makes you feel good and gets you moving, that's what we'll book.

AAJ: Is there an age requirement?

MP: No, there is a noise requirement. I don't care if you're zero or 110—if you make noise during the music, you're going to leave the club. As long as your baby is quiet, welcome.

We want a welcoming spot, not only for our audience but for the musicians.

AAJ: Martin, thanks so much for taking the time to sit with me. I'm excited to visit The Pocket and good luck.