WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — An uptown coffee house is serving up jazz alongside its java.
Tazso Espresso Bar, a lower-Washington Heights cafe that is quickly becoming a popular hangout for area musicians, is giving its customers a chance to show off their talents by hosting its first annual Heights Music Festival later this month.
The three day-festival, held from Aug. 23-25 at the cafe, will feature performances by classical, jazz and acoustic artists. Taszo owner Haitem Weslati said that ten artists have already signed up to perform, and the cafe still has room for more.
Weslati, who opened the coffee shop at 5 Edward M. Morgan Place in May, said that his shop has been frequented by musicians since opening. Weslati, 40, added that he decided to launch the festival with the help of area trumpet player Tom Bergeron after noticing that the artists had nowhere to perform in the neighborhood.
"I meet all these musicians coming in and they're all playing somewhere else," Weslati. "They're all going to Williamsburg or the Lower East Side but not anywhere in Washington Heights."
"I thought, let's create a venue where they can play in the Heights."
Artists that are interested in performing in the festival should email taszo5e@gmail.com for more details.
