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Ortlieb’s Jazz Haus is alive and well and offering you an opportunity to hear some home grown music makers before they get to New York or L.A where you will have to pay $50 just to walk in the door. Tuesday nights are jazz jam session nights. You never know who will show up. But you will never be disappointed.

On a recent Tuesday, Arnold, Tony and I went to have some food and listen . The new owners have made some good changes in the food department. Of course you are there for the music, but having some decent food helps.

All of us had Louisiana Crab Bisque and the three of us thought it was great. Big tasty lumps of fresh crabmeat in a creamy bisque, some heat in the back of the palate, as you move your spoon as fast as is polite to get more. Drizzled on top was bourban syrup, adding a counterpoint of sweetness to this fine, worthy of a NOLA restaurant crab bisque.

I had some pan fried oysters, had Arnold taste one. We agreed, they looked right on the plate but neither of us thought they were very good. To our taste they were, flabby, mushy, was the breading bisquick? Both of us have done some oyster eating and these were just not right. They were not bad oysters, they just were not cooked right, in our humble opinion.

Both Tony and Arnold ordered a double order of kabobs. While they were good and inexpensive there was only three kabobs of chicken to each order…..six pieces total in a double order. Well, that could have been our mistake, after all they are only billed as appetizers, and they were quite tasty.

Karen was our waitperson.and took good care of us, but did forget to bring some bread, which we requested. I thought the bread would have gone well with the bisque.

All that aside, we mostly enjoyed what was served. Really, don’t you have to visit a place a few times and try many more dishes then we did before coming to a solid conclusion? Do not let my comments deter you from coming to this Jazz oasis in Philly.

The food is much much better with the new owners. I look forward to going back and having more bisque and some other things from the more broad menu. I appreciate they have a Naw’lns kind of menu. That alone will bring me back, cause you know what it means to miss New Orleans.

THE MUSIC…the music…..that is why you come here. Live jazz, no cover, no minimum. Open JAM Tuesdays. Open jam means anyone with the chops can sign up and play a set, maybe two. You might have a talented music school student play in public for the first time or a more experienced music man go through the well known mantra of a well known tune.

Outstanding on Tuesday was pianist, Paul Sottile, who seemed to dance with the piano, while twisting out of the piano and himself some hard pounding riffs. Mr.Sottile feels the music and makes the piano respond to his muse. He was just great to see and hear.

I usually don’t like drummers in jazz bands. My impression is they sometimes try to over compensate. Tony, a drummer back in the day, agrees. So, we were surprised that one of the best on Tuesday was a drummer.

This jazz drummer listened and responded to the folks with whom he was playing. Not afraid to play softly and add appropriate accents and rhythms to make his fellow musicians sound better. Sarab Singh has a very mature relaxed and soft touch to his music. He seems to naturally get it.

We were all taken aback by his performance with the group, as well as his solo. He was outstanding. There is real talent in this young mans hands. Sarab is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Music. Sarab Singh is young and gifted and I hope we will hear more from him.
You have to go to Ortlieb’s Jazz Haus, soon and often. It is at 847 N. 3rd St. Philadelphia Pa 19123. Cost for the evening $80 including nine drinks, not including tip.
Call 215 922 1035