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Pat Kelly's UNOFFICIAL

Cincinnati jazz newspaper clippings researched and compiled by Bill Soudrette and Pat Kelly
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1950s

The 1950s saw the beginning of documented activities of longtime and well-known Cincinnati jazz musicians such as Dee Felice, Elwood "Woody" Evans, Judy James, Popeye Maupin, and Shirley Jester, among many others. There was much club action, especially at Babe Baker's on Reading Road, Herb Kirschner's Piano Lounge, and clubs and venues in Newport, KY like the Copa Club, which brought in top national acts. The Taft Theater and Castle Farm were the primary venues for national jazz acts in Cincinnati, including Norman Granz's "Jazz at the Philharmonic" series of concerts.

As mentioned earlier, during the days of segregation, Cincinnati Music Hall Ballroom operated under 2 different names: The Topper Club, its entrance on Elm Street, catered to a white clientele; The Greystone Ballroom, its entrance on Central Parkway, catered to Blacks. It was the same room. Cincinnati also had two different Musicians Union locals, one for whites and one for Blacks.

Do you want to see more of the 1950s in Cincinnati jazz? Click on the link to the Annex.

List of Greater Cincinnati 1950s Club and Concert Performances HERE.

 

Shearing

June 16, 1951

 

tatum

June 21, 1951

tatum tatum

 

JATP

October 3, 1952

JATP

October 10, 1954

herm

November, 1958

Jazz clipping

October, 1955

jazz clippings

June 1, 1957

herm

November 1957

jazz clipping

June 1, 1957

Jordan

Quartet of Freddie Jordan - guitar, Elwood Evans - piano, Edison Gore - drums, Ed Conley - bass.

 

jordan

August 5, 1955

21

July 28, 1958

 

Jimmy/Edison

August 30, 1957

Jazz, Inc. Popeye

September 25, 1957

french lick

August, 1958

 

busy

June 16, 1954

Jester

October 15, 1959

 

blue ange;

March 29, 1959

Ill Jacquet

September 11, 1959

Popeye

March 21, 1959

Beletto

Listen

December 23, 1959

shirley

April 25, 1958

chico

April 27, 1959

 

chico

Note: The article mentions Eric Dolphy, who was a member of this group and who appeared on its recordings, but it is not he who is pictured in photo at left.

bostic

August 15, 1954

bostic

March 29, 1959

miles

February 5, 1959

copa

July 31, 1959

Club Ebony sarah

March 17, 1954

club ebony

January 24, 1954

blakey

June 19, 1959

doggett

May 21, 1956

ahmad

May 4, 1959

erroll

November 21, 1958

BABE BAKER'S JAZZ CORNER

One of the best and most contemporary jazz clubs in Cincinnati in the late-50s and 60s was the legendary Babe Baker's on Reading Road. John Coltrane Quartet, Lester Young and Miles Davis were among its many noted perfomers, as were Cincinnati's own noted Modern Jazz Disciples. Local tenor legend Jimmy McGary played there, with pianist Ed Moss leading a house trio for a time. Edward "Babe" Baker (1916-2005) had also been a jazz DJ on WSAI prior to opening his club and was a successful businessman and entrepreneur whose businesses suffered during the aftermath of the riots of 1968.

 

babe

August 7, 1954

babe

December 30, 1953

babe

November 11, 1958

babe

Babe's Cannon

December 20, 1958

Lester

December 29, 1958

babe

 

June 29, 1959

babe

April 20, 1959

 

babe

June 8, 1959

babe

July 16, 1959

babe

May 10, 1959

babe

June 23, 1959

babe

February 22, 1960

babe

March 12, 1961

babe

May 22, 1960

babe

December 31, 1962

babe

November 30, 1962

babe

November 18, 1962

Al Grey - Babe's

December 3, 1962

babe

January 7, 1963

Jimmy, babe

October 29. 1966

babe

August 28, 1970

babe

September 9, 1970