One chilly Harlem evening in December 2018, restaurateur Adriane Ferguson was closing up B²runch Harlem for the night, when she noticed a few passers by standing outside looking in…

Marcus Goldhaber, Jazz singer/songwriter, host, entrepreneur and 23yr Harlem resident, had been out for a stroll with close friend and long-time inspiration, Alfredo Taylor-White when the two were lured down 119th street by the restaurant’s festive lights and sleek outdoor design.

As they approached, the lights inside, now on full blast, shined brightly out onto the street and the stools were upside down on the bar...clear markers to come back another time. 

About to turn away, Marcus caught a glimpse of a slightly suggestive holiday-themed sign posted to the door that asked, “Are you naughty?”  As was surely the sign’s intention, Marcus was now even further enticed, if not charmed, and, with curiosity piqued, he gave the door a gentle tug.

As he pulled at the surprisingly unlocked door, Marcus and Alfredo were simultaneously waved in and greeted immediately by Adriane with a big, welcoming smile.  Although they were closed for the evening, she invited them to stay and have a drink and the rest, as many have said, is Harlem history! 

Marcus spent his early years in NYC hanging out late nights at St. Nick’s Pub, Lenox Lounge and the old Zinc Bar on Houston St.  He loved how the communal energy of the crowds mixed powerfully with the positive healing power of Jazz thrust out by the musicians.

Zinc has now relocated to a larger space and both St. Nick’s Pub and Lenox Lounge (both which opened in 1942) sadly closed their doors in 2011/2012, respectively.  Since then, Marcus has dreamed of someday reviving that unique concept, and on this particular night, he was determined to find a special place where he could make it happen. 

The vision...

To create a positive and inclusive space to host an immersive Jazz experience where elite and innovative musicians, food and beverage mavens, visitors and neighbors can all gather together...a vibe centered around creativity, positive spontaneity, inclusion, diversity, respect and community...a new home in Harlem for incredible live Jazz from around the world and around the corner!

Marcus shared his concept with Adriane who in turn shared the long musical history of Billie’s Black (B²runch Harlem's original name) and her belief in the power of music to bring all types of people together. Adriane and Marcus discovered immediate chemistry (not to mention their shared love of hats) and with an authentic modern-day speakeasy in Room 623 (designed by HGTV celebrity, Mikel Welch) already nestled right below, they both felt it was a natural fit to become the new home for this exciting venture!

Putting the pieces together…

Just a few months later, Marcus teamed up with his friend, the “top cat” at Big Apple Jazz Tours, and former owner of EZ’s Woodshed, Gordon Polatnick to produce a test run evening featuring Shareef Clayton (trumpet), Yeisson Villamar (keys), Noah Jackson (bass), Norman Paul Edwards (drums) and Vivian Sessoms (vocals). The night was a huge success and one month later, on April 5th, 2019, Adriane and Marcus opened ROOM 623 to the public with a unique Friday night series called, “The Late Set.”

With most Jazz clubs these days finishing up by 10pm or 11pm (even on the weekends), Marcus made the bold move to BEGIN “The Late Set” at 10pm and go until 1am (or later...).  With a wide-spread hunger for late-night Jazz in Harlem, his concept caught on quick!  Responding mostly to “word of mouth” and social media, lines began to form and the momentum increased.

A few months after opening, Marcus teamed up with veteran Jazz vocalist & producer, Jocelyn Medina, to produce "The Sunday Vocal Headliner & Jazz Jam” and then brought in world renown multi-instrumentalist, Peter Brainin to host “The Harlem Jazz Session,” a swingin’ high energy Wednesday night hang, featuring Peter with his incredible band and featured guests, followed by a jam session like no other! Both nights fill the club with joy and the healing power of music.

Just before we had to temporarily close our doors in March 2020 (one month shy of our 1 year anniversary), we introduced “The Early Set” to our Friday night lineup, offering more traditional “dinner hour” concerts. 

In addition to the music, Room 623’s classic art deco bar serves out hand-crafted artisanal cocktails alongside B²runch Harlem's elevated seafood concept (at the hand of Executive Chef, Jose Luis Miguel) including lush seafood towers, charred king crab, shrimp guacamole and our famous B²runch Harlem Mac n’ Cheese!

For the full menu, visit B²runchharlem.com

What’s next…

We are committed to providing accessible and immersive live Jazz to our historic Harlem community; a positive, joyous and exciting environment in which we can celebrate diversity, inclusion and incredible musicians from around the world and around the corner...

We are grateful to our Harlem “cousins” (The Apollo, The Cotton Club, Sylvana, Bill’s Place, Harlem Late Night Jazz, Patrick's Place, The Porch, Shrine and more) for all they continue to do to keep live music thriving uptown. We know and believe that it takes a village to keep all the doors open and rising tides lift ALL ships!

We’re especially grateful for your continuing support of our efforts to revitalize live Jazz in Harlem!

Whatever the next chapter holds, we believe in the power of community.  So please continue to spread the word about Room 623…whether you become a member, write a review on Google, connect with us online, sign up to watch a livestream or come experience the club in person!

In the meantime, please stay safe, stay compassionate and stay engaged! 

To find out more about our upcoming events and special promotions, please sign up to receive our newsletter HERE.

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