The story of the 55 Bar dates back to Prohibition, when the underground West Village watering hole opened as a speakeasy. It entered jazz lore in 1983, when the late bassist Jeff Andrews approached then-owner Peter Williams about performing there. Andrews later recruited Mike Stern, then Miles Davis’ hotshot young guitarist, who began a twice-weekly residency that would last until the club’s demise nearly 40 years later.
Stern put 55 Bar on the jazz map, attracting international visitors to a space that was little more than a subterranean dive bar. When she bought the 55 in 2001, Queva Lutz endeavored to transform the space into a higher-class venue. It never lost the dive bar shabbiness, but it did become a breeding ground for a generation of musicians who used it as a workshop for fresh ideas. Following the club’s closure in May 2022, a number of former regulars shared their stories and memories.
THE HOUSE THE STERNS BUILT
Jeff Andrews (from a 2018 Facebook post): The space was dingy and lacked any lighting… The floorboards had some holes in them and sagged in places and there were some funky booths in the back. And the place was an eternal cloud of cigarette smoke that you had to escape between sets by going across the street to the coffee shop. We got through a couple of sets that first night and then Peter Williams approached us about doing a regular Monday night.
Mike Stern (guitarist): I’ve been playing at 55 Bar literally since it started. I was still playing with Miles at the time. My wife Leni and I used to play at 55 Grand Street because we were living in a loft space a couple of floors above the bar. It was just a coincidence that Jeff had found this other place, 55 Christopher Street. We started playing duo, and we set up just to the left of the front door.
Lincoln Goines (bassist): Mike was getting himself cleaned up and I was right behind him, so we hooked up through the gettin’ sober thing. He said, “Come on down to the 55 Bar and sit in.” I came in one night and Jaco was there, playing with Jeff Andrews. They played “Donna Lee” and some other stuff, and then I sat in.
M. Stern: We started playing with a drummer, Yves Gerard, so we went to the back, which became the little space for the “stage.” We were scared that the drums were going to be too loud, so Yves brought in brushes and chopsticks and played really soft. When we realized no one was complaining and the bar didn’t seem to mind, we cranked it a little bit.
Leni Stern (guitarist/vocalist): I started playing at 55 Bar within the same week. I was studying with Bill Frisell and he kept telling me that I should start gigging. I was totally shy and didn’t want to play. Bill said, “If you get a gig, I’ll play.” I finally ran out of excuses. Bill said that Paul Motian had just told Keith Jarrett that he wasn’t going to play with him anymore but he hadn’t lined up any other shows, so he was available. Paul always liked to play with the ladies: He played with Geri Allen, he played with me. He came to the gig with not one but two girlfriends.
