Ok, so Louis might not be around, but his successors are!  If you're usually a bar rat but are craving something different this week, show your appreciation for the age-old genre of jazz with one of the following legendary jazz clubs.

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola:  At 2,300 square feet and offering jazz seven nights a week (while overlooking Central Park), Dizzy's is definitely one of upperscale venues.  Just don't forget to make a reservation online before you go - it's first-come first-serve.  Monday's there's a $30 cover, and $10 minimum at a table, or $5  at the bar; to go cheap, late-night Friday's and Saturday's are only $10 admission.  The Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, New York NY 10023, (212) 258-9595

 

Jazz Standard:  With two sets per night (three on Friday and Saturday), delicious barbeque from Blue Smoke (upstairs), and drinks downstairs, the Jazz Standard is sure to indulge all your senses.  Tickets range from $15-30 per set and food is mid-priced (appetizers are about $6; entreés from $12) 116 East 27th Street, New York NY 10016, (212) 576-2232

Village Vanguard:  Every Monday they feature the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, who won a Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble, and Tuesday-Saturday of every other week a different band is featured.  This week it's Martial Solal & the Francois Moutin Duo, followed by Bill Frisell's Beautiful Dreamers and the Bill Frisell Quartet.   Find the rest of the schedule here; cover is $25 plus a one-drink minimum.  178 7th Avenue S. (@ Perry St.), (212) 255-4037

Birdland:  Originally opened in the jazz mecca that was 52nd Street and Broadway in 1949, Birdland has been a haven for some of the hottest jazz musicians to date.  The club regularly catered to celebrity guests like Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra, and the New York Times called it "close to perfection for serious fans and musicians."  Daily sets will run you anywhere from $20-40 per set, with a $10 drink minimum, but it's well worth it.  315 West 44th St, (212) 581-3080

Blue Note:  Sets will usually run you between $25-40, but the music is so good that they even sell live recordings of the performances.  The space is small and cramped, though, so if you hate not being able to move for the duration of the show this probably isn't the place for you.  131 W 3rd St (btw 6th Ave. & Mac Dougal St), (212) 475-8592

Iridium Jazz Club:  A different performer starts their set at 8pm daily, this weekend featuring the Wallace Roney Sextet.  The club accommodates people of all ages and even offers half-price admission to students Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday (normally $22-35).  1650 Broadway (@ 51st. St.), (212) 582.2121

Smalls:  Still a fairly "new" venue on the jazz club circuit, Smalls opens its doors to even those under 21 for a cover of only $20.  There's no drink minimum, you can leave then come right back, and even take a listen to the band before you decide to go.  183 West 10th St., (212) 252-5091

55 Bar:  The bar may be small and the atmosphere a bit divey, but this Greenwich Village spot (originally opened in 1919) is the place to go for reasonable and mind-blowing jazz music every night.  The crowd is laid-back and the service friendly, all for a cover of only $10-20.  55 Christopher St. (btw 6th-7th Aves.), (212) 929-9883