After we did the live- streaming series, Molly and I built little greenhouses on the sidewalk where people could dine in parties of two, or four, and the band would play in the window.
#SMOKE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ WINDOWS#
“The windows at Smoke actually open all the way accordion style. That allowed us to make decisions based on what is the safest for our community without having the pressure of eviction. “We were lucky to be in a situation where we had a landlord who was working with us and wanted to make sure that we survived this pandemic. It was really the only thing we could do safely, and our number one priority was keeping the performers, the staff, and the audiences safe through this.
“Then we started a livestream series, which was well received, and something we always wanted to do. The occupancy would be 12 to 14 people, that’s not a business proposition, it was the worst of all worlds: an incredible risk, and it would not create any revenue.
“He figured out what the room could look like in order for us to be able to let people in and still comply with the safety regulations. “In early 2020, Molly and I were looking at indoor dining and social distancing regulations with a good friend an architect,” Stache explained. Smoke has expanded by absorbing the two adjacent, long vacant storefronts. And we cannot wait to get the doors open, get the music playing and welcome people in person.”Īn added factor in the process is that Smoke is in an historic district and the Landmark Commission must approve of changes. It’s been a process that took longer than we initially thought it would take. “We’ve attempted to keep the music going from sidewalk concerts, to livestreams, to records.
#SMOKE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ PLUS#
“It’s been a tricky two plus years navigating through this pandemic,” Stache said. Now, like the legendary Phoenix, it is about to reappear better than it was before and Stache and Johnson were happy to talk about it. Then came the pandemic and, while many clubs succumbed, husband and wife co-owners, Paul Stache and Molly Sparrow Johnson (photo above), not only endured, they adapted, improvised and improved. For more than 50 years, live jazz could be heard at 2751 Broadway in New York, first as Augie’s Jazz Bar then as Smoke.
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