Profile

The surfeit of jazz dives that once lined 52nd Street are long gone—as are many of the musical icons who played there—but in this sub-level Times Square venue, the Iridium does its best to recreate the halcyon days of the 1920s and 1930s. Sure, the air’s no longer smoky, the décor’s a shadow of what it was and you’re sitting knee-to-knee with the European tourists at the next table, but true jazz aficionados overlook those minor details to hear sets played by some of the best-known names in the biz: vocalist Jimmy Scott, guitarist Mike Stern, saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, and the Mingus Legacy bands, to name a few. Monday night headliner Les Paul (the legendary strummer so good he’s got a Gibson guitar named after him) sells out nearly every show he plays—so reserve your seats early and note the strict 24-hour cancellation policy. Sightlines are excellent; acoustics are top notch; most sets last little more than an hour. — Amanda Pressner

Students with a valid ID get half-price tickets to shows on Tuesdays, and second sets on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.