More than 30 years ago, Marjorie Eliot turned a family tragedy into a thriving community gathering space in Harlem for healing and reflection. “My son, Phil, passed away on a Sunday morning,” Eliot says with slight trepidation during our phone conversation. “We were holding him, and by God’s grace, he was not in a coma. We were smiling, praying, and crying and we were all there to say goodbye to him. At some point, the music took over.” It was then that she and another son, Rudel Drears, vowed to play music every Sunday afternoon.
In honor of her late son, Marjorie founded Parlor Entertainment. She hosted the inaugural “Jazz at the Mansion” concert in August 1993 at the historic Morris–Jumel Mansion, located across the street from her home. She has since continued the annual concert series at the mansion every summer. This year’s edition will take place on August 23 and 24, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The following year, Eliot held a few preliminary concerts out of her apartment and officially launched the weekly Sunday showcase—which continues to this day—in 1995. “The power of music is healing,” she continues. “I used to sit and play with dark glasses on and didn’t want folks to see me cry. Over time, it has been such a healing force.”
The jazz sessions take place in Suite 3-F, Marjorie Eliot’s apartment at 555 Edgecombe Avenue.
Photos by Brian Finke
Affectionately known as “The Triple Nickel,” 555 Edgecombe Avenue evokes warmth and nostalgia in a rapidly changing city like New York. This towering structure, approximately 14 stories tall, cannot possibly capture its vibrant history. It’s designated a National and Local Historic Landmark among the dozen notable buildings comprising Harlem’s Sugar Hill district. (More than a century ago, Sugar Hill was primarily home to affluent Black families and was an essential backdrop during the Harlem Renaissance.)
While 555 Edgecombe is five blocks north of Sugar Hill, the building is still considered part of the celebrated neighborhood because of its many notable Black residents, like Duke Ellington, U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, Lena Horne, and actor, activist, and athlete Paul Robeson, among countless others. Its sister building, 409 Edgecombe Avenue, was once home to W.E.B. DuBois, Babe Ruth, and Aaron Douglas.
The concerts take place from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every Sunday.
Photo by Brian Finke
Eliot has lived at 555 Edgecombe Avenue for more than 40 years alongside her husband, the late Al Drears, a prominent jazz drummer who played for artists like Charlie Mingus and pianist Mal Waldron. She’s also an accomplished actor, playwright, pianist, and teacher, having taught her children how to play the piano. Her son Rudel advanced his musical studies with their upstairs neighbors, pianist Mary Kirk (the wife of saxophonist Andy Kirk), who, according to Eliot, also gave Charlie Parker piano lessons.
The Triple Nickel is an intimate spot to enjoy jazz in a fast-paced city.
Photos by Brian Finke
When you stand in the lobby, it’s hard not to envision yourself in 1940s Harlem: it features art deco walls and columns, relief panels featuring classical motifs and mythical figures, ornate overhead light fixtures, and the pièce de résistance, an enormous stained-glass skylight.
A sense of familiarity instantly envelops you as you enter Suite 3-F, making you feel at home. The railroad-style apartment features a long hallway that leads into a larger room filled with big windows and chairs waiting to be filled. Even on this particularly dreary February Sunday, you can still imagine how the sun would illuminate the space. The stage area serves as a shrine, simple yet poignant, as the white walls and piano are adorned with letters, news clippings, and photos of her sons and other family members.
After Rudel starts the afternoon with Thomas A. Dorsey’s hymn, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” on the piano, he announces the musicians for the first concert. They casually walk in—saxophone, trumpet, and double bass—and their repertoire is a mixed bag, including jazz standards like “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” and Herbie Hancock’s classic “Maiden Voyage.” Rudel provides vocals on Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It,” and not long after Eliot sits in on piano with the musicians, for a group and intimate duo performance.
Minton’s Playhouse is among the other venues that jazz lovers should visit in Harlem.
Photo by Brian Finke
The past, present, and future of musical Harlem
The lore of the artist salon and parlor gathering in Harlem goes back as far as the turn of the century. Less than two miles south, in another affluent neighborhood, Strivers’ Row, arts patron A’Lelia Walker, daughter of the first self-made Black millionaire, Madam C. J. Walker, hosted lavish parties and artist salons at her 136th Street townhouse, then known as “The Dark Tower,” at the height of the Renaissance. Writer Wallace Thurman would throw parties at his rooming house, attracting a more bohemian crowd from Harlem and the Village. In the early 2000s, Les Payne, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, and his wife Violet began a popular Harlem salon in Sugar Hill.
Despite gentrification, Harlem is still home to some historic music venues worth a pilgrimage.
Photos by Brian Finke
Unbeknownst to Eliot, jazz concerts were often held more than 70 years ago at her own building. “In the 1940s and 1950s, there was a time where they used to hold concerts downstairs in the lobby,” says Rudel Drears. “My mother and I didn’t know that until later. And then one day, somebody came here and brought us this program they had from 1949—in pristine condition.”
Today, increasing prices and gentrification continue to drive out longtime residents and businesses in the area, making it challenging for Harlem to remain the thriving cultural force it has always been. Thankfully, Ms. Eliot shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Four more venues to explore
Harlem is also home a number of speakeasies, a staple of the Prohibition era, where you can hear live music and (at several) grab dinner and some cocktails in between sets. Here are a few to explore on a musical tour of the neighborhood.
Minton’s Playhouse
Minton’s Playhouse hosts live music—along with a varied menu of entrées, including salmon, snapper, and jerk chicken.
Photo by Brian Finke
206 W 118th St., between St. Nicholas Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Blvd.
Minton’s Playhouse is widely considered the birthplace of bebop. On the first floor of the Cecil Hotel, you could hear Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker on any given night. Founded in 1938 by saxophonist Henry Minton, this remnant of old Harlem has since been restored into a vibrant destination spot for upscale dining and ample space to witness some of NYC’s rising and venerated jazz voices.
Ginny’s Supper Club
310 Malcolm X Blvd., between 125th and 126th sts.
Ginny’s Supper Club is a touching ode to the speakeasies that made Harlem world-renowned. Located just beneath the vibrant Red Rooster, Ginny’s is a delight among the numerous eateries led by award-winning restaurateur, activist, and author chef Marcus Samuelsson. This dimly lit lounge hideaway boasts plush velvet seating, antique light fixtures, and other colorful tchotchkes that transport you to simpler times.
449 La Scat
449 Lenox Ave., between 132nd and 133rd sts.
449 La Scat is a staple “hole-in-the-wall” spot that has been going strong for over 20 years. A nod to rent parties, this intimate living room space offers a no-frills environment to catch emerging talents and revered jazz musicians perform and showcase their skills.
Bill’s Place
148 W. 133rd St., between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. blvds.
Bill’s Place sits on top of an original 1920s speakeasy that welcomed a young Billie Holiday to its stage. Saxophonist Bill Paxton has fulfilled his dream of transforming his ground-floor home into a venue for live jazz in his hometown of Harlem. Paxton & The Harlem All-Stars perform two evening sets (7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.) every Friday and Saturday night, $36 per set.
