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The floor space has the rough dimensions of a mouse-hole, the Heinekens are $7, and the grand piano of yore has been whittled down to a Yamaha keyboard … and none of that matters. This basement venue is a wake-up summons to all rival nightlife—come in here on a typical weekday night and you will be greeted by some truly great live jazz: Local heroes and talented session players alike (Andrae Murchison, Tim Perryman, Irwin Hall, Anthony Ware, Marcus Miller, and many, many others) drop by St. Nick’s regularly to strut their brass on the red-and-black curtained stage (the size of which a birthday magician might scoff at). Take a seat at one of the $3 tables or on one of the battered leather stools at the bar, listen to the band play, and admire the huge face collage on the wall, a who’s who of jazz and cinematic greats. The Monday-night jam sessions are the stuff of local legend. The crab cakes sold from a table in the back aren’t bad, either. We challenge you to have this much fun at the Blue Note. — John Wheeler-Rappe