But the way . Here is the list with more details: HARLEM JAZZ CLUBS, RESTAURANTS, and BALLROOMS from the 20's-40's: Alamo Club (1915-1925) 253 West 125th St (basement) b/t 7th and 8th (aka Alamo Cafe; Jimy Durante) Alhambra Ballroom (1929-1945) (aka The Harlem Alhambra) 2116 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (7th Avenue) at 126th Street (built in 1903 for vaudeville. HARLEM JAZZ CLUBS, RESTAURANTS, and BALLROOMS from the 20's-40's: Harlem Jazz and Night-Club map from 1932. The jazz age in New York is one of the most infamous times throughout the history of New York. The popularity of Jazz spread quickly from its origins in New Orleans to other major cities like Chicago and New York. Thus, on June 20, 1918 the New Orleans Times-Picayune ran an editorial titled "Jass and Jassism" that condemned . 60-floor Woolworth Building is completed, making it the largest building in the world. While the jazz club may not seem as risqu as it was back in the prohibition era, Birdland provides great jazz in the perfect setting. 644 Lenox Avenue (at 142nd Street) Peak years: 1920 (as Club DeLuxe) to 1936. Club Hot-Cha The best-known jazz musicians of the 1920s include Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton. There's one refernece to Glady's Clam House. Jazz music in the 1920s was a vibrant and popular style that continues to influence musicians today. Jazz music in the 1920s underwent a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to changing social attitudes and the ascendance of new technologies. Kansas City was booming with jazz music. . Tickets are $30 and the show is BYOB (whatever type of bottle you want). The already-popular jazz music, and the dances it inspired in speakeasies and clubs, fit into the era's raucous, party mood. The sight lines and sound system are truly worthy of celebration. It was one of the thriving speakeasies during the Prohibition era when the street was known as Swing Street. Dance clubs became enormously popular in the 1920s. Downtown Manhattan (Downtown) By enofile1. However, some purists disapproved of this trend, arguing that Jazz was losing its rebellious edge. No man was allowed in the hall if he wasnt dressed in a jacket and tie. It was popular with famous gangsters such as Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano who would often use the club to conduct business, as it had multiple exits, allowing them to get away quickly in the event of a police raid. Consumer culture flourished, with ever greater numbers of Americans purchasing automobiles, electrical appliances, and other widely available consumer products. A modern day shot of "The Street" - West 133rd St. between 6th and 7th Avenues. The Village Vanguard. As bootlegging enriched criminals throughout America, New York became Americas center for organized crime, with bosses such as Salvatore Maranzano, Charles Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. 2. Much of Art TatumsGod is in the HouseLP was recorded here on a tape recorder in 1941.Golden Gate Ballroom(1939-1950) 640 Lenox Avenue at West 142nd St.Harlem Opera House 209 West 125th St. at 7th Avenue(Harry Hansberrys) Clam House146 West 133rd (1928) b/t Lenox and 7th Ave.Havana San Juan 138th and Broadway(1960)(more info to come)Hermans Inn(145) 2493 Seventh Avenue b/t 144th-145th StreetsHoofers2235 7th Ave (basement of Lafayette Theater/Dancers Bojangles Robinson)Hot Cha2280 7th Ave NWC 134th (Hot Cha Bar and Gril) (CLub Hot Cha)(Where Billie Holiday staryed)Lafayette Theater2227 7th Ave. (The Rhythm Club that was under the Lafayette became the Hoofers CLub), Lenox Lounge(Zebra Room inside) from 1939 288 Lenox b/t 124th and 125thLincoln Theater58 West 135th Street b/t 6th and 7th Avenues (1909-1964)Mexicos154 West 133 (basement) b/t 6th and 7th Avenues, Mintons Playhouse206 west 118th at St. Nick. The most famous of them included former bootlegger Sherman Billingsleys fashionable Stork Club on West 58, favored by celebrity writers such as Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley, the Club Intime next to the famous Polly Adler brothel in Midtown, Chumleys in the West Village and dives such as OLearys in the Bowery. This recording still effects a jazz feeling, much like that of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, which dominated the 1920s New York scene. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Doubling as a members-only rehearsal space, Dryes tiny, cozy, art-adorned digs keep overheards down to offer a low-cost alternative to the city's more lavish jazz venues and highlight the most progressive minds in the local scene. Below is a list of all the spots mentioned. 14. The Yeah Man (1925-1960) 2350 7th Ave at 138th St. Harlem Jazz and Night-Club map from 1932. The 1932 map was the work of E. Simms Campbell, the first African American illustrator to be syndicated in national magazines. After a two-year-long closure caused by the pandemic, the iconic Smoke Jazz Club on the Upper West Side has reopened at 2751 Broadway by 106th Street and the beloved venue has undergone a transformation. At the same time Black musicians were opening doors, Harlem's Cotton Club, the most popular New York jazz club of the 1920s and 1930s, featured Black entertainers but seated only white patrons. Radio broadcasting was still in its infancy, but it allowed people to listen to Jazz from anywhere. Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton were some of the most famous entertainers of the era, and their music influenced everything from fashion to art. Run by boxer Jack Johnson, the club was taken over by a paroled mobster, Owney Madden, in 1923 and the name changed to The Cotton Club. allthatisinteresting Harlem became a cultural hub for dynamic jazz and blues as well as a platform for rising jazz artists like Louis Armstrong . It was popular jazz record, yes, but hardly cutting edge. It includes jazz clubs, clubs, dancehalls and historic venues such as theatres.A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Interior of The Nest. New York City also presents opportunities that are not available in other cities; even international ones. Excellent live Brazilian music and dancing are the draws on Wednesday nights. here. Nonetheless, the genre continued to evolve and remain popular throughout the 20th century. RECOMMENDED: Full coverage of jazz in NYC. A closer shot from the same spot in 1948. Showmans Bar(Showmans Jazz Club) 375 West 125th (It was originally located next to the Apollo Theater at 267 West 125th Street, where it was a hangout for the performers. Images: Laurentlesax, Lainspiratriz, Bill Dowling, Established in 1949, the NYC jazz club Charlie Parker called, The Jazz Corner of the World. Edited by Ryan Paternite. The illicit bars, also referred to as blind pigs and gin joints, multiplied, especially in urban areas. Another option was to enter private, unlicensed barrooms, nicknamed speakeasies for how low you had to speak the password to gain entry so as not to be overheard by law enforcement. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band was a jazz band led by King Oliver in the early 1920s. If youre interested in learning more about this important period in music history, check out this blog post. This is a photo of Big Wilt's Small's Paradise which began in 1955 and was partly owned by Wilt Chamberlain. Best Jazz Clubs in New York City. When Prohibition took effect on January 17, 1920, many thousands of formerly legal saloons across the country catering only to men closed down. The Ubangi Club was opened in 1934 by Glady's Bently a famous lesbian singer who sang in tux and tails. Much has changed over the years (Birdland's smoky elegance in the '50s . TKTS by TDF. It was often seen as a symbol of rebellion against the established order and was associated with speakeasies, illegal alcohol, and other illicit activities. Thanks to the excitement of the Big Apple and the variety of establishments in which to perform, NYC was known as the focus of the jazz world by 1930. 1920s party at Montparnasse caf. The Decline And Legacy. Birdland has been imperative in the success of many famous artists. Monday night is big band night - the players are top musicians in New York and the chairs in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra are handed down over the years" - Gary Brocks, NYC-based jazz singer & trombonist. Although the club was briefly closed several times in the 1920s for selling alcohol, the owners' political . This is the second of a series of articles on The Harlem Renaissance. They ranged from fancy clubs with jazz bands and ballroom dance floors to dingy backrooms, basements and rooms inside apartments. a vaudeville/classic blues artist and referred to as the "Mother of the Blues". Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! It was also a music that crossed racial boundaries, appealing to both black and white audiences. The Apollo Theatre is one of Harlems most iconic and enduring cultural institutions. The club was known for its lavish decorations and lavish productions, and it featured some of the biggest names in jazz at the time, including Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. Others resorted to selling still-produced moonshine or industrial alcohol, wood or grain alcohol, even poisonous chemicals such as carbolic acid. The year is 1920, and America is reeling from the First World War. (click to enlarge). During the day, the joint provides state-of-the-art rehearsal, recording and exhibition space to the neighborhood's artists. The top 10 best areas for New York nightlife by popular opinion are the East Village, Greenwich Village, Lower East Side, Meatpacking District, Midtown, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, SoHo, Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, and Tribeca according to Business Insider's article on New York neighborhoods. Al Capone, leader of the Chicago Outfit, made an estimated $60 million a year supplying illegal beer and hard liquor to thousands of speakeasies he controlled in the late 1920s. (click to enlarge), 52nd Street and Times Square (52nd Street was known as "Swing Street" or just "The Street" from the 1940's to 1960's) (After prohibition ended in 1933 the center of jazz activity slowly moved downtown to the TImes Square area.) Ellingtons compositions Black and Tan Fantasy and Mood Indigo were among the first pieces of Jazz to achieve widespread popularity outside of the jazz community. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters, and Clayton Peg Leg Bates were among the many stars who performed at the Cotton Club. It later beacme the Theatrical Grill, managed by Dickie Wells. Times Square North - Broadway and 7th Ave between 46th and 54th Streets - from South to North. This is the ground floor of the St. Mark's Hotel which used to be the Valencia Hotel. Jazz originated in the African-American community in the late 19th century, and by the 1920s it was becoming increasingly popular with white Americans as well. They enjoyed fine American cuisine and performances by some of the world's best known jazz artists. First-timers at this remote Alphabet City outpost will have to ask the smokers outside if theyve come to the right place: Only a blue light marks the spot. Augie's - Broadway between 105th-106th Streets, west side (now "Smoke" jazz club), Lenox Lounge, Lenox Avenue b/t 124th and 125th St., Harlem, Lenox Lounge from Google Street Views, 2012, Lenox Avenue, Harlem, Interior of the Lenox Lounge from the NYPL. In the beginning, jazz and other styles of music were often used to entertain dancers throughout the city. For those looking for an authentic jazz club experiencerather than the cheesy dinner-club vibe that prevails at too many other spots around townSmalls is a must. (click to enlarge), Map: Harlem Jazz Clubs of the 1920's to 1940's. Looking at Leon and Eddies which was mid-block between 5th and 6th Aves. . Owners of speakeasies, not their drinking customers, ran afoul of the federal liquor law, the Volstead Act. Nevertheless, the impact of jazz on American cultureand on music around the worldremains vast and significant. (CLICK TWICE TO FULLY ENLARGE), The illustration of the clubs was drawn looking from the north to the south. 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