449 LA aka SCAT – Showcase For Artists

What a beautiful place, with great music, great hostess and very cozy and comfortable setup! I live in Harlem and will be back many many times!

Small and very nice neighborhood spot, Five Stars *****
Rashid The Jazz Aficionado Booker

Beware: the music they advertise is not free. It’s a steep $ 12.50 cover charge, for which you also get a very small drink. Shocked to see my bill after having spent just 30 minutes there and having a tiny sangria.

Darn it… I hate to do this… but I will. I am afraid if I say how much I loved this place it will become packed and I won’t be able to enjoy it… but what the hell. We had reservations at Bill’s around the corner but they overbooked so we did not stay. The hostess at Bill’s did not have our reservation after we called a head and it seemed slightly disorganized. We were a little disappointed but decided to walk down Lenox and discovered 449 accidentally and what a wonder-​filled surprise. The first set lasted well over a hour and the musicians only took at 15 minute break. They had a wonderful vocalist who did an excellent Louie Armstrong rendition — Heaven. Ended up staying for 3 hours and loved every minute. No food is served and the drink options are limited… so you may want to bring a little flask if that is important to you. Anywho… can’t wait to get back and visit again. A real treasure !!

How can so much talent fit into one room?! La Scat is amazing. I was there last night for the live jazz and an endless string of musicians kept joining the band for short stints. We even had a sultry singer grace us with some fine songs.
It’s a very comfortable vibe, the waitresses dance as they bring you delicious sangria, and it’s amazingly cheap for an evening of such delicious music.

a hidden secret jazzy jewel in the rough. cozy and cool. very friendly hostess — Miss Sandy

As a Jazz noob, I can’t write well enough to do this place justice. Just think of this as a very chill place to sit and enjoy some good jazz music. The proprietor is super nice, and is very happy to talk about the history of wanting a place that wasn’t just a bar or a restaurant but was focused specifically on the art. Pricing is dirt cheap, you pay $ 10 to sit and listen and it includes a drink. I had the sangria and then got a refill for $ 3. I repeat, dirt cheap for what you’re getting. The one draw back is that they don’t have any food, but you can bring food in and with Manna’s Soul Food just one block away, you are set.

449 LA features jazz that is not only authentic, but also a pleasure to listen to.
Last Saturday I was entertaining a friend from San Francisco, and at first I was going to take her to Fat Cat which often features live jazz, lots of seats, and has a cheap cover charge. However, on the way there she said, «Yay, jazz in Harlem! This is awesome!»
So… not wanting to disappoint her, not having been to jazz in Harlem for a long time, and not knowing where to go, I looked up some places on the internet, and we decided to go to a place at 449 Lenox Ave called 449 LA. Yes, that is a rather unimaginative name, but boy am I glad we went.
The cover charge was $ 20, which may seem expensive, but included all you can eat (red beans and rice with baked chicken), and all you can drink (a choice among various soft drinks and sangria, which was not the best sangria I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t bad, and I do believe it was spiked with brandy to yummy effect). The website where I found it says the cover is $ 10, which it normally is, but it was more that night because of the included food and drink. Call ahead to see what the deal is.
The place itself is intimate — I’d say about 18 people could actually be seated. But that Saturday night was brutally cold (25 °F, –4C, and it was very windy), so there weren’t that many people there. We arrived at around 10:30pm, and there were about 8 other people. The service was very warm and friendly; when the band wasn’t playing, the server stopped to chat with us asking where we were from and made other small talk.
The music was GREAT. Small band: piano, drums, bass, sax, and a guy who invented his own instrument that was two kinds of saxes joined together that he blew into at the same time so that he was always playing a chord. No brass that night. A couple of improv pieces, a few standards. A couple of songs with vocalists. Not too loud, not too abstract, all of it very enjoyable. The band didn’t mind if we took pictures (non-​flash, of course) and we did.
I would highly recommend 449 LA if you want to go to jazz in Harlem.

Sweet little place in Harlem. The owner is warm and friendly. The venue is small but cozy with beautiful local art work on the walls. This place is a excellent spot in Harlem to stop by to listen to nice jazz without having to pay a cover or sit down to a full meal. The owner passes around tamborines and other small instruments to get the audience involved in the performance — very cute!
This is a very down to earth establishment. I came by myself on a Saturday night and just jived to the music, drank sangria and at the end of the performance chit chatted for a bit with one of the musician and the owner before heading out for the night.
I didn’t give this venue five stars only because the limited drinking options available besides sangria and non-​alcoholic beverages. Also, I’m not sure if there is anything available besides the pretzels because there wasn’t a menu provided. But this is no biggie if you’re just trying to enjoy the music in a nice vibe! Besides the Sangria is only 10 bucks and the owner keeps refilling your glass if it’s even close to empty!
I love Jazz and Sangria so I wouldn’t be surprised if I turned into a regular at this venue! =0)

No frills, no nonsense standard neighborhood Jazz spot. The home of bottomless Sangria (in plastic cups) and sensibly tiled stage. Get here and grab seats along the wall, enjoy the music, but if you want to be pleased, know your Jazz and request a song.

Came here yesterday after walking the streets at Harlem Week Street Festival. It was a pleasant surprise. its like a modern day jute joint. ppl playing all types of instruments… just jamming and having FUN! This lady sang a couple of songs she was really cool and jazzy! The owner is the sweetest lady, she walks around offering everyone drinks. she has sangria, water, juice and soda! If your cup even looks as if its attempting to be too low… she comes and re-fills…the really great thing about it is. the cost is only $ 10.that covers ur unlimited drinks and entertainment. They do not serve food, and I am not sure if one could bring in outside food. Oh yeah I almost forgot. there is also an outdoor garden in the back… if I am in Harlem. I will mos def go back!