High Dive Bham

High Dive Bham Coffee, Cocktails, Food & Music

Come see Adam Guthrie in the lounge on Sunday at 2 pm!
06/18/2026

Come see Adam Guthrie in the lounge on Sunday at 2 pm!

ALBUM OF THE DAYTime OutThe Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we ...
06/18/2026

ALBUM OF THE DAY
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959

Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play a complete album, uninterrupted at full volume.

Released in 1959—a miraculous year for jazz—Time Out was a bold, mathematical experiment that unexpectedly became one of the best-selling and most influential jazz albums of all time. Columbia Records was initially terrified of the project because the quartet completely abandoned traditional jazz rhythms, opting instead to explore complex, exotic time signatures they discovered while touring Eurasia.

Musically, the record is a masterclass in tension, balance, and accessible sophistication. From the driving 5/4 time signature of the iconic, Paul Desmond-penned “Take Five” to the shifting 9/8 Turkish rhythms of “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” the album forces the listener to feel rhythm in entirely new ways. Yet, despite the academic complexity, it never feels sterile. Joe Morello’s crisp, legendary drumming and Brubeck’s heavy, block-chord piano style keep the tracks grounded, warm, and endlessly swinging. It shattered the rules of cool jazz and proved that high-concept art could still top the pop charts.

ALBUM OF THE DAYDick’s Picks Volume 1Grateful Dead, 1993 (Recorded 1973)Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening ...
06/17/2026

ALBUM OF THE DAY
Dick’s Picks Volume 1
Grateful Dead, 1993 (Recorded 1973)

Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play a complete album, uninterrupted at full volume.

Recorded live in Tampa, Florida, in December 1973, this release launched the legendary Dick’s Picks archival series and captured the Grateful Dead in one of their best forms. By late ‘73, the band was operating as a lean, fiercely dialed-in unit, blending cosmic psychedelia with Americana, country, and avant-garde jazz exploration.

Musically, Volume 1 showcases the band’s unparalleled chemistry and their signature “wall of sound” era warmth. The rhythm section provides a fluid, swinging foundation that allows Jerry Garcia’s lead guitar lines to weave intricate, telepathic stories over Bob Weir’s unique chordal structures. The centerpiece of the session is a towering, transcendent version of “Here Comes Sunshine” followed later by an ethereal, multi-layered “Dark Star” that stretches the absolute boundaries of collective improvisation. It’s an essential listen that proves why the Dead’s live concert experience became a cultural phenomenon.

Come see us at the High Dive this week!
06/17/2026

Come see us at the High Dive this week!

Join us in the lounge for a Juneteenth celebration featuring DJ Supreme, Shaheed, and Akil!
06/17/2026

Join us in the lounge for a Juneteenth celebration featuring DJ Supreme, Shaheed, and Akil!

Come see Marlowe Shepherd in the lounge at 7:00pm on Thursday!
06/16/2026

Come see Marlowe Shepherd in the lounge at 7:00pm on Thursday!

ALBUM OF THE DAYThe Low-End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest, 1991Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, wh...
06/16/2026

ALBUM OF THE DAY
The Low-End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest, 1991

Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play a complete album, uninterrupted at full volume.

Released in September 1991, this record came out right when the group was trying to figure out their next move after a solid debut. Instead of sticking to the usual script, they stripped everything back, kicked up the bass, and completely changed the game for hip-hop.
Musically, The Low-End Theory is the absolute gold standard for jazz-rap. It basically drew up the blueprint for mixing acoustic jazz vibes with heavy, booming hip-hop beats. You can trace a straight line from this album to modern artists like Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Isaiah Rashad. The whole record is built on warm double-bass lines (they even got legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter to play on it), crisp drum loops, and the effortless, conversational back-and-forth flow between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.

While some people at the time didn’t know what to make of hip-hop crossing over into jazz territory, it didn’t take long for everyone to realize it was a masterpiece. It took alternative rap mainstream and proved that hip-hop could be incredibly sophisticated while still hitting incredibly hard.

ALBUM OF THE DAYA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane, 1965Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play ...
06/14/2026

ALBUM OF THE DAY
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane, 1965

Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play a complete album, uninterrupted at full volume.

Today we are listening to John Coltrane’s towering 1965 release, A Love Supreme. Recorded in just one single session in December 1964, the album came out during a time when Coltrane was experiencing a massive spiritual awakening. After battling severe addiction a few years prior, he clean-cut his life and channeled his gratitude into a four-part musical prayer.

Musically, A Love Supreme is the ultimate tour de force of spiritual jazz. It’s a four-part suite—“Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” “Pursuance,” and “Psalm”—that bridges the gap between traditional post-bop jazz and the wild, boundary-pushing world of avant-garde. You can hear its DNA all over modern music, influencing everyone from Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus to rock icons like Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix. The whole record thrives on the telepathic chemistry of Coltrane’s Classic Quartet: Jimmy Garrison’s hypnotic basslines, Elvin Jones’ thundering drums, McCoy Tyner’s cascading piano, and Coltrane’s soaring, deeply emotional saxophone.

At the time, it was a massive risk to put out a jazz record that was essentially a heavy, deeply personal religious poem. But it quickly became a commercial and critical smash hit. Today, it’s not just viewed as one of the greatest jazz albums ever made—it’s widely considered one of the most powerful spiritual expressions ever captured on tape.

ALBUM OF THE DAYThe Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest, 1991Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, wh...
06/13/2026

ALBUM OF THE DAY
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest, 1991

Join our 3pm daily “Album of the Day” listening sessions, when we play a complete album, uninterrupted at full volume.

Released in September 1991, this record came out right when the group was trying to figure out their next move after a solid debut. Instead of sticking to the usual script, they stripped everything back, kicked up the bass, and completely changed the game for hip-hop.
Musically, The Low End Theory is the absolute gold standard for jazz-rap. It basically drew up the blueprint for mixing acoustic jazz vibes with heavy, booming hip-hop beats. You can trace a straight line from this album to modern artists like Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Isaiah Rashad. The whole record is built on warm double-bass lines (they even got legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter to play on it), crisp drum loops, and the effortless, conversational back-and-forth flow between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.

While some people at the time didn’t know what to make of hip-hop crossing over into jazz territory, it didn’t take long for everyone to realize it was a masterpiece. It took alternative rap mainstream and proved that hip-hop could be incredibly sophisticated while still hitting incredibly hard.

Address

524 32nd Street S
Birmingham, AL
35233

Opening Hours

Wednesday 8am - 10pm
Thursday 8am - 10pm
Friday 8am - 12am
Saturday 8am - 12am
Sunday 8am - 10pm

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