Looking north up Seventh Avenue, 1930s
In the case of some NYC landmarks, you have to take their golden-age greatness for granted. Not so with the Village Vanguard, a West Village jazz club that's hosted countless legendary gigs, documented on albums by giants such as Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Bill Evans. To this day, the Vanguard retains every bit of its cachet. Just ask Jason Moran, the piano luminary who oversees an 80th-anniversary series for the club from March 10 through 15. Check out our slide show to see how the Vanguard has evolved—and in some ways remained exactly the same.
