Ritzy Rice Village has an improbably rich history with the blues and R&B. Besides the Gallant Knight, a mainstay of live jazz and soul from the '70s to the '90s, the Big Easy celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and today sits at the epicenter of Houston's very much alive blues scene. Neither especially spacious nor fancy, the Louisiana-ish bar is just this side of a dive, exactly what a good juke joint is supposed to be. Owner Tom McLendon still works the door most nights, and will gladly talk music with you if his hands aren't full taking cover charges — which the Big Easy does only on weekends (and they're almost never more than $5). Any no-cover night would be good to get your feet wet on the modest dance floor, and the Easy has plenty to choose from: zydeco Sundays; John Egan Mondays; the Big Easy Quartet Tuesdays; the locally famous "Open Jam" on Wednesdays; and Luther & the Healers Thursdays. Without much fanfare, the Easy has become quite a destination club for blues aficionados from across the country and around the world, not to mention a vital part of our live-music scene.
READERS' CHOICE: House of Blues