Andy's Jazz Club
11 E. Hubbard Ave. (400N, 0W)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 642-6805

From its modest beginnings as a "newspaper pub" dating back to 1951, Andy's has become an internationally renowned jazz club and a Chicago legend. In doing so, Andy's rivals other legendary Chicago jazz venues like the Green Mill, Jazz Showcase and Pops for Champagne by offering what no other can or will: talented jazz musicians playing to appreciative crowds, three times a day. This, along with a relaxed atmosphere and a good selection of lunch and dinner entrées, makes for a fantastic afternoon or evening for a lot less than you'd expect to pay.

Andy's can be found just east of State Street on Hubbard, within the shadows of the Michigan Avenue overpass, and steps from preeminent River North sports bar Mother Hubbard's. Here, Andy's can quickly be spotted with its bright yellow awning with blue lettering that extends forth from a tasteful multi-story brick building. An array of colorful neon signs advertise live jazz, fine food and cocktails in the front windows. Walk through the payphone-lined entryway, and you'll find an older gentleman in the evenings on your left who will welcome you in and take your cover charge – $5 Sunday through Thursday, $10 Friday and Saturday, and never a cover for lunch.

Andy's consists of one large carpeted room with a high ceiling held up by a series of thick, circular, brown columns with pealing paint. Several ceiling fans hang above to help minimize the smoke you'll smell in your clothes the next day, next to the exposed pipes and precariously-rigged loudspeakers. The north end of the room is dominated by an oval-shaped, wooden bar surrounded with with black vinyl, high-backed chairs. Here, middle-aged bartenders serve a variety of cocktails and beer at times bedecked in sweaters under a non-revolving Budweiser Clydesdales sign. It was here that I learned what a dirty martini is: a regular martini with extra olive juice. That's sounds about as appealing as swallowing lint, doesn't it?

A plethora of crookedly hung photos adorn the wood-paneled "Wall of Fame" across from the bar, so noted in bright orange neon. This area highlights many of the local and national performers that have graced the modest stage at Andy's. The infamous stage is located next to the Wall of Fame and consists simply of an elevated stage and simple black backdrop with the bar's logo: a jazz-era couple toasting with beer mug and cocktail glass (with a Pink Poodle?). More crooked photos of jazz musicians hang on the dark maroon-painted west wall with black trim, while colorful banners hang near the stage and around the room. These festive cloths commemorate each annual Chicago Jazz Festival, and Andy's participation in it, since its beginning in 1978. The Chicago Jazz Festival happens to be the city's longest running lakefront music fest and features jazz performances by local, national and international performers on several stages. Every August, jazz lovers visit the fest by day in Grant Park and head to a series of bars like Rituals, Buddy Guy's Legends, Bop Shop, Jazz Showcase, Joe's Bebop Café, Green Mill, Green Dolphin Street, HotHouse, Velvet Lounge, Cotton Club, Back Room, Pops for Champagne, Three Arts Club, Some Like it Black Coffee Club, Club Alphonse, Famous Dave's, and the Chicago Cultural Center in addition to Andy's. Many of whom do so with organized tours by the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

A decent-sized dining area (partly non-smoking) takes up the other half of the room, filled with low-slung tables with white tablecloths and votive candles. Patrons dine under the glow of stained glass Schlitz lights (turned off during performances) and are served by a back bar located below a plethora of neon beer signs and a blue glow. Here, jazz fans have the best view of the stage as the columns may block your view from the bar depending upon which seat you're able to nab. Some of the tables are even close enough to the stage to see the sweat bead on the musicians' faces as they launch into a solo. The jazz talent at Andy's consists of internationally acclaimed jazz artists like Chuck Hedges, Franz Jackson, Art Hoyle, Wilber Campbell, Paul Wertico, Erwin Helfer, Truck Parham, Barret Deems, Sam Burckhardt, and Von Freeman of the Apartment Lounge. Most of these performers have been played here for years, in-between world tours. The schedule:

• "Jazz at Noon" 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• "Jazz at Five" 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• "Jazz at Nine" 9:00 p.m. 1:00 a.m.
• Friday "Late Nite Blues" 8:30 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.
• "Swinging Saturdays" 6:00 p.m. 1:00 a.m.
• Sundays 6:30 p.m. 12:00 a.m.

"The only common denominator among the patrons seems to be the fact that they all left work early, or did not go to work that day at all. You may think there wouldn't be very many people like that, but Andy's is almost always jammed. Here shirt sleeves may be rolled up and ties loosened or even thrown away." Such is as true today is it was in 1985, when Dennis McCarthy described Andy's in The Great Chicago Bar & Saloon Guide. The crowd is comprised of tourists, hoteliers, conventioneers, white collars, students, hoteliers, and jazz aficionados of every age and background. Those under 21 are allowed, but must be accompanied by a guardian. The result is a casual, unpretentious atmosphere (note: no dress code) that is very welcoming although usually busy. Bands play a wide variety of jazz, including traditional, Dixieland, swing, and bebop at three different times of day: noon, evening and night. No cover and a modestly-priced lunch menu is available for workers that come in from the loop for the noon show. "Casual dining" is available until midnight and consists of thin-crust pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, chili, pastas, ribs, steaks, chicken parmesan, orange roughy, aged prime rib, lobster tail, and rack of lamb amongst other things, all priced between $8 and $15. A modest dessert menu includes Grand Ma's Chocolate Layer Cake, apple pie ala mode (or with cheddar cheese), frozen egg custard and raspberry sorbet. You may want to call and make a reservation for dinner if you don't want to wait, as the place is busy any time of day, particularly after 6:00 p.m. While I haven't had a bad experience personally, Andy's sometimes takes hits on local entertainment message boards for not having the best quality of food or service, but hey – you're there for jazz, right?

"The hardest working bar in the jazz business."