Figure 10: A New Jazz Lounge?

Well, we’re not counting our chickens ’til they’ve hatched, but the former pan-Asian Tai Restaurant on North Pearl Street in Albany is opening its doors on Wednesday night as the Figure 10 Restaurant and Jazz Lounge.

While Albany’s premier, long-standing jazz club, Justin’s on Lark Street has been methodically paring back its live jazz offerings over the past couple of months, the very cool, but cavernous former Tai appears to be re-configuring as a live jazz alternative.

The new Figure 10 is billing itself as a “steakhouse and Latin cuisine, open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner and live music, 5-11pm.”

Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes is slated to perform at the invite-only soft opening from 6-8pm on Wednesday. The new venue will open its doors to the public for the first time immediately afterward at 8pm.

Figure 10 is currently slated to mark its official grand opening on Friday, March 4.

Will it work? Who knows? We had drinks at Tai several times, and it was great. We also had dinner at Tai. Just once. Worst. Service. Ever.

It’s difficult to imagine the immense space as an intimate setting for jazz, but we’re certainly willing to throw some support behind any new business that wants to embrace live music.