San Francisco’s famed Blackhawk jazz club showcased Black excellence

SAN FRANCISCO – Many individuals aren’t even conscious San Francisco’s Blackhawk jazz membership existed, however in its time, the Tenderloin dive bar usually showcased Black musical excellence. It was the place town’s native son, Johnny Mathis, was found. On the nook of Turk and Hyde streets, what’s now a makeshift park in a neighborhood with a nasty popularity, is the place the likes of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Billie Vacation as soon as graced the nightclub’s tiny stage. 

“It isn’t the music historical past that will get prime billing within the San Francisco story, however possibly ought to. The Blackhawk enabled that world to interrupt in a extra widespread consciousness,” Alex Spoto, program director of the Tenderloin Museum says reflecting on the membership’s historic significance. “The membership launched the careers of Johnny Mathis, [Dave] Brubeck in a means, Gerry Mulligan, Cal Tjader all had in depth intervals originally of their profession the place the Blackhawk helped them construct up their chops and get some publicity and in some instances, make some data.”

The museum’s exhibit on the Blackhawk features a listening station that samples music recorded on the historic membership. Albums famously recorded there by Davis and Monk are included. 

The membership’s roster of gamers was dynamic and complete for its time. Mongo Santamaria, Depend Basie, and Lester Younger are a few of the different greats who carried out there. The membership was open from 1949 to 1963.

Among the many reside albums, Spoto says his favourite of the bunch is Ahmad Jamal’s file. He stated Basie famously crammed an enormous band onto its tiny stage. 

Modern musicians not too long ago paid tribute to the Blackhawk with an occasion at SFJAZZ Heart.

Jeannine Anderson, a classically-trained soprano, was there for a soundcheck forward of San Francisco Restoration Theatre’s manufacturing known as, ‘A Evening on the Blackhawk.’ 

“My information of the membership is zero. My connection to the membership is zero. Why is it vital for me to be right here tonight? To study. To study in regards to the membership,” she says. “I’ve heard about it. I did some analysis earlier than I got here right here tonight.” 

Geoffrey Grier is the manager director of the theater firm.

“I’m nonetheless getting emails like, ‘Nicely, I imply, if the Blackhawk existed again then, how come we’ve by no means heard of it?’ Nicely, as a result of it was torn down. Additionally, it was in part of city individuals informed you not to enter… Even again at the moment, 1946, 1948, 1950, you already know, the Tenderloin was poppin’, however jazz was like hip-hop. Again then it was like solely the beatniks and solely the individuals and the perimeter society actually received into jazz,” Grier says.

He wrote ‘A Evening on the Blackhawk,’ basically a musical homage to the membership. The manufacturing featured the musical styling of what it was prefer to be inside what was basically a dive bar.

“The Blackhawk was one of many first golf equipment to introduce Latin jazz to the West Coast,” Grier says, referring partially to Tjader and Santamaria, neither of who’s African American. “All of the Latin jazz individuals got here via the Blackhawk. It actually piqued my curiosity, so I began to perform a little research, I kinda wrote this play.” He explains his distinctive identify, which references the bebop style, for the way he categorizes his musical. “I had this idea of this ‘bopera’. ‘I’m gonna do me a jazz opera. I am gonna name it a ‘bopera’, and in order that’s the way it developed.”

Anderson does not attempt to pretend it. She is aware of there’s worth on this under-the-radar story from San Francisco’s previous.  

“I didn’t know that this was a venue for artists; Black artists, for individuals to be found….such as you stated, Johnny Mathis. So many others. I’m studying part of my very own historical past. Part of my San Franciscan historical past that I didn’t know,” she says. 

She explains the magnitude of the occasion at SFJAZZ and the way the Blackhawk impressed a formidable collective of musicians and artists to return collectively this night. “It’s vital for me to be right here, as a result of initially, to be surrounded by these superb musicians and to simply be part of this group, part of this music making. It’s my favourite factor to do. I believe it’s vital to have completely different voice varieties. We’ve received some jazz singers. We’ve received some blues singers, we’ve received some cabaret singers. After which you’ve got little previous me. The classical singer.”

The collaborative spirit is a part of the Blackhawk’s legacy. 

“I do know that there was a Sunday jam session that occurred there for a few years, usually. And I believe that jam session is the place younger Johnny Mathis would have been found,” Spoto says. He says Helen Noga, spouse of one of many membership homeowners, left the membership to handle Mathis full time. 

Grier says an early incarnation of his manufacturing included a direct hyperlink to the Blackhawk within the type of saxophonist John Useful. The 90-year-old Oakland resident, a McClymonds Excessive College graduate, truly performed the membership. The achieved musician is taken into account “dwelling jazz historical past.” He went on to show at San Francisco State College, UC Berkeley, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Stanford. 

Useful had suffered a stroke in recent times, however nonetheless remembers sitting in with Davis on the Blackhawk. “When Miles Davis performed there, I sat in. I favored their music greater than others,” he says. 

He moved round quite a bit from coast to coast, taking part in gigs on the Fillmore scene at a younger age earlier than getting into the Military. A few of his oral historical past from that point is included within the superlative ebook, Harlem of the West. 

You may’t speak about San Francisco jazz with out mentioning the Fillmore jazz period. Useful says he by no means used the phrase ‘Harlem of the West’ when he was arising.

Spoto describes the colourful music scene that existed alongside Fillmore and Publish streets and the way throughout the ‘40s and the ‘50s it turned a predominantly African American neighborhood. 

“Blacks from the South had been popping out to work within the army operations right here particularly.” He mentions the nice upheaval of the Japanese-People who had been dwelling in that neighborhood prior, however had been interned throughout WWII. “Harlem of the West was fairly a vibrant scene, and was the place loads of the jazz golf equipment had been. Numerous the reside music was occurring in each formal venues and casual venues as a result of everyone lived round there.” 

Whereas this scene was thriving, racism throughout this period was nonetheless pervasive. 

“Folks overlook how deeply and actually segregated San Francisco was earlier than the civil rights period, and if you happen to had been a Black musician taking part in a gig east of Van Ness, you in all probability weren’t strolling within the entrance door of the membership until your identify was on the marquee.”

And east of Van Ness Avenue is strictly the place the Blackhawk stood. 

“And then you definitely go and look it up and also you see how the membership regarded and also you understand that it was a neighborhood membership. It actually was a gap within the wall, you already know and all these guys would play on the High of the Mark, they performed on the Fairmont and all that type of stuff, however after they received accomplished, oh they had been on the Blackhawk partying till 4 or 5 within the morning,” says Grier. “It was the Studio 54 of San Francisco from means again when.”

Spoto says the time interval of the membership’s existence from 1949 to 1963 was transformative for the Tenderloin. 

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“Early twentieth century, this neighborhood, whereas very working class, I believe was fairly sturdy economically. You had loads of working individuals dwelling within the SRO lodges. There have been two world wars right here, two world’s gala’s. There was a really lively port. There was blue-collar work,” Spoto says. “And this was the world the place loads of these individuals would reside.” 

He describes cabarets, diners, eating places and bars that sprang as much as cater to this demographic.

“It was one of many solely golf equipment that permitted minors, restricted behind a sequence,” says Norman Brown, 86, of Oakland. He attended the membership usually. He labored as a photojournalist for the Solar Reporter, an African American newspaper based mostly in San Francisco. 

“You’ve gotta keep in mind, they appealed to the youth. They didn’t exclude youth,” says Grier. However whereas the membership was thought of inclusive for its time, a very conservative mayor was at odds with the Blackhawk and ordered raids. 

Spoto talks about Mayor George Christopher. “He was preoccupied for lots of his phrases I believe with cleansing up the Tenderloin. At one level in 1961 particularly, Mayor Christopher ordered a raid.”

Actually, there are images from the night time of the raid that depict the caged ‘younger grownup’ space contained in the membership. It was the place underage patrons may get pleasure from a Coke and jazz music, basically from behind a chicken-wire fence.

Younger grownup cage contained in the Black Hawk throughout San Francisco Police Division raid for violation of liquor legislation. That is the “caged” space for juveniles beneath the age of 21. Photograph credit score: San Francisco Historical past Heart/San Francisco Public Library. 

Inside of The Black Hawk throughout San Francisco Police Division raid for violation of liquor legislation. Taken on January 26, 1961. Photograph credit score: San Francisco Historical past Heart/San Francisco Public Library. 

“They typified San Francisco. That they had like a number of raids. The police raided them. All people was attempting to close ‘em down and so they stated, ‘Oh. So the issue is children are mixing with adults and there’s grownup drinks? Okay, we’ll repair that,’” says Grier.

After all, nothing lasts eternally, not even the brilliance that was the Blackhawk. By Spoto’s estimate, it was demolished in 1975 and have become a parking zone. 

The area is at present rented by City Alchemy, a nonprofit that employs individuals to wash up metropolis streets.

Spoto describes it as a type of public picnic area known as the City Alchemy Oasis. Artist Adrian Arias’ good River to the Sky mural may be seen on the constructing subsequent to the place Blackhawk stood. It depicts Miles Davis and Billie Vacation; a clue to the locale’s storied previous.

Adrian Arias’ River to the Sky mural in 2021. A mural depicting Miles Davis and Billie Vacation on the facet of the 222 Membership close to Turk and Hyde the place the Black Hawk jazz membership as soon as stood. The Baggage Retailer Gallery helped arrange this mural funded by th

Music aficionados might know this historic landmark is a crucial a part of the jazz custom, but it surely represents a lot extra. 

“That is one thing that examples what the Tenderloin actually was and what the magnificence of this historical past actually did produce and why it’s vital for individuals to grasp, be part of and interact,” Grier says.

By means of music, the Blackhawk introduced a mixture of individuals collectively, each on stage and within the viewers. 

“Why I don’t learn about it? As a result of the place would you study it if you happen to’re not a musician, or if you happen to’re not linked to a musician? I’m not a jazz musician. I’m linked to jazz musicians,” Anderson says. 

“However the place else do you study this? They definitely don’t train it in class. You understand? So I wouldn’t have a connection to it. It’s superb that at my age, in my fourth decade, I’m nonetheless studying.”

To develop your listening expertise of music from the Blackhawk, take a look at KPOO DJ Harrison Chastang’s curated playlist. 

Younger grownup entrance at 216 Hyde Road for the Black Hawk, the day after the raid for violation of liquor legislation. Taken January 27, 1961. Photograph credit score: San Francisco Historical past Heart/San Francisco Public Library. 

Nook of Turk and Hyde the place the Black Hawk membership as soon as stood. (February 8, 2023) 

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San Francisco Chronicle Datebook, Oct. 1959. Newspaper clipping reveals an commercial for ‘Jazz on the Blackhawk,’ that includes Oscar Peterson Trio and Thelonious Monk Quartet. Scheduled Oct. 20, 1959.

San Francisco Restoration Theatre’s Geoffrey Grier at ‘A Evening at The Blackhawk’ at SFJazz Heart, Feb. 2 2022. 

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San Francisco Restoration Theatre’s Geoffrey Grier at ‘A Evening at The Blackhawk’ at SFJazz Heart, Feb. 2 2022.