Green Mill Jazz Club Bars

Swinging Former Speakeasy

The best place for jazz in Chicago is the Green Mill Jazz Club. Period. Run by the old Capone outfit, the Green Mill was a speakeasy during Prohibition and gained nationwide notoriety as the place where comedian Joe E. Lewis got his throat slashed. The interior is dark and old. It has not changed much since Al Capone frequented the establishment, and the jazz is just as hot as ever. Cover is free on Friday and Saturday nights after 1a. Come at that time to hear the thundering Sabertooth Jazz Quintet, or head in earlier to catch one of a number of other acts, from big band to sultry torch singing. The Mill also hosts the popular "Poetry Slam," where would-be bards read their poetry and brave the heckling of the audience.