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In jazz jargon, woodshedding refers to the time honored practice of learning one's instrument i.e. developing "chops" on your "axe." Gordon Polatnick, a jazz jack-of-all-trades, opened up EZ's Woodshed over a year ago in Harlem in this same spirit, providing a performance space where local musicians, seasoned veterans and aspiring neophytes alike, can gather to woodshed, promote, and network. "As a jazz fan, I wanted a place where I would feel like this is where I would want to hang out, because I'm that into it." Located in the heart of what was once known as "The Stroll," a meeting place in the 20s and 30s for Harlem artisans, where musicians came to mix, mingle, get gigs, and score; where once grew the Tree of Hope; just down the block from the original "Swing Street" (133rd), packed with speakeasies in the heyday of the Prohibition; and one block further from the former Monroe's Uptown House, a birth spot for bebop EZ's is keeping the tradition alive as a crossroads for cultural commerce. The Woodshed sits in the back of Big Apple Jazz, a store, cafe, and gallery featuring all manner of jazz related items. As an active jazz tour guide, Polatnick has been taking people out to hear local musicians in out-of-the-way places that fall under the radar of Let's Go: New York and the like. Inspired by the rich history and by the wealth of talented but relatively unknown artists performing in the neighborhood venues, Polatnick sought a space where all of these activities could...

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