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Jazz in the night

By Alexis Korman | Special to amNewYork

3:47 PM EDT, May 1, 2008

Jules Bistro at 65 St. Marks Place in Manhattan serves a full menu late into the night. (Dennis W. Ho)

New York's jazz scene is still hopping -- but don't let commercialized venues and high entrance fees get you down. These unique jazz joints offer live music without the cover:

Louis 649 Hamsa, a friendly pit bull, sometimes steals the show at this intimate, off-the-beaten-path jazz bar near Avenue C. In addition to high quality, free live jazz performances several nights a week (call for details), there are over 20 single malt scotches available (complete with tasting notes) as well as classic cocktails on the list -- making it a perfect spot to impress a first date.(649 E. 9th St, 212-673-1190)

Cleopatra's Needle This casual UWS bar and Mediterranean restaurant plays host to both established artists and up-and-coming musicians nearly every night of the week. Admission is free, though there is a $10 drink minimum per person, which is well spent on the bar's strong martinis. (2185 Broadway, 212-769-6969)

Jules Bistro Owned by restaurateur Georges Forgeois, this charming Parisian-style bar and restaurant in the East Village harkens back to another time -- and offers a full menu of French classics, like bouillabaisse and moules frites, as well as nightly jazz shows. There's no cover for performances, though a one-drink minimum is recommended at the bar. A jazz brunch is also available on weekends. (65 St. Mark's Place, 212-477-5560)

Arthur's Tavern A Village institution since 1937, this one-of-a-kind bar -- decorated year-round with an assortment of colorful lights and festive Christmas ornaments -- offers free live jazz and blues every night, as well as a light menu and happy-hour drink specials. Don't miss the Grove Street Stompers, a raucous Dixieland-style jazz band that has been playing at Arthur's every Monday night for 35 years. Call for a performance schedule. (57 Grove St, 212-675-6879)

Parlor Entertainment Every Sunday afternoon, rain or shine, Marjorie Eliot hosts this free, intimate jazz concert in a private apartment in Sugar Hill -- a historic building that also famously housed Count Basie. Initiated as a way to remember her son Philip, a musician who passed away in 1992, these weekly shows have become a Harlem institution (arrive early for a seat). Though there is no entrance fee, donations are gladly accepted. (555 Edgecombe Ave, Studio 3F, 212-781-6595)