Fat Swami's Jazz Bar & Lounge is the brainchild of Oakland, New Jersey, native and current North Bergen resident Derek Rosenfeld, a life-long musicphile and frequenter of jazz clubs around New York City as well as international cities such as London, Paris, Barcelona, and Amsterdam for more than 25 years.

It all began when one of Derek's favorite nightspots going back to the late 1990s, Garage, abruptly and unexpectedly shuttered its doors and windows in January 2015. One of Greenwich Village's top jazz clubs for decades, its closing set in motion the idea that he should one day open his own jazz club; first, to avoid such disappointments, and second, as a means of being around the Great American Art Form of jazz music as a lifestyle.

Although the origin of the Fat Swami's name is being kept under wraps, the name lent itself to evoking a number of colorful and vibrant aesthetic possibilities for the establishment, from the middle eastern décor to Hindu mysticism to the reverence and respect for the Swami himself. This is all manifested and apparent the moment you walk through the door to the strains of wailing saxophones and booming trumpets.

Opening its doors with a grand opening ribbon-cutting on June 24, 2026, Fat Swami's embodies the sound and spirit of jazz. From bebop to hardbop, from fusion to smooth, and from swing to modal—we play the music from opening to closing. It is the ONLY jazz-exclusive bar this side of the Hudson River and has expectations of being THE jazz destination for Hudson County for years to come.