Seattle Jazz in the 1940s

I came into KCTS 9 this past Friday, unaware that I would be receiving mind blowing news. Quincy Jones would be coming in for an interview on our program, Conversations at KCTS 9.

As an unabashed nerd for 60s and 70s jazz, funk and soul, I promptly went home at lunch to grab my original 1962 pressing of Quincy Jones’ "Big Band Bossa Nova LP" for an autograph, his second studio album featuring the well known track, "Soul Bossa Nova", made famous by the opening dance number in the first Austin Powers film. I watched the interview in our studio control booth, my eyes transfixed on the multiple camera feeds focused on “Q”, listening more intently than I ever have to my professors at UW.

He spoke on a wide range of topics, from his successes as a producer and arranger, the luminary people he’s met in his lifetime (I especially enjoyed his anecdote that started with “Oprah brought Obama to my house...”), his philanthropic work, and how Seattle’s jazz scene in the 1940s made a huge impact in the person he is today. As someone who is not well acquainted with Seattle music before 90s grunge and 60s rock, I googled my way through Seattle’s rich music history to acquaint myself with the times that Quincy spoke of. Here’s an abridged look into the jazz scene of Seattle in the 1940s.

In the post World War II days of the 1940s, nightlife was dominated by the jazz clubs that peppered America’s major cities. Most of these clubs would be clumped together on the same street and surrounding blocks, so that the illegal activities that permeated during the night could be easily corralled by the prevalent police corruption during Prohibition.

The most infamous of these blocks was New York’s 52nd Street where the who’s who of legendary jazz musicians and singers would gig. But in our corner of the country, Seattle’s Jackson Street was the hotspot for dancing, bootleg liquor, and the hottest jazz clubs around the clock. It was in these clubs that future legendary artists Ray Charles, Ernestine Anderson, and Quincy Jones would pay their dues and make names for themselves.

Black and Tan Club, Seattle, 1937

The Black and Tan Club on 12th Ave and Jackson was Seattle’s most revered and longest running jazz club, hosting mythical jazz figures like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Charlie Parker. Located in Chinatown, the club was named after the diverse patrons (Blacks, Whites and Asians) making the club a uniquely Northwest affair when racism was dominant and institutionalized.

A 17-year-old Ray Charles became a regular fixture at The Black Elks Club on South Jackson, one of the clubs where he would befriend a teenage Jones. The YMCA on Madison and 23rd Ave was the place to see the best Northwest jazz and R&B; Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ernestine Anderson, Dave Lewis, and many others frequented this spot. It was in these clubs and many more that made Seattle a jazz sanctuary and a cultural haven, only paralleled by New York’s 52nd Street and the West Coast jazz scene in Los Angeles.

The turn of the decade did not fair well for Seattle jazz. New regulations for night clubs and the emergence of Boeing in the early 50’s paved the way for a more orderly and family friendly environment, sweeping most of the jazz clubs, and the drugs and alcohol associated with them, under the carpet.

Although these cultural landmarks are gone, contemporary jazz clubs like Egan’s Ballard Jam House, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, and Tula’s, are still grooving and thriving. Garfield High School, Jones' alma mater, and Roosevelt High School are consistent rivals at the Essentially Ellington Festival, the most esteemed national competition for high school jazz bands, often trading back and forth the top spot every year.

We can feel the impact of the local jazz scene during the 1940s to this day -- through the modern clubs, festivals, and classrooms that continue to take jazz in new directions. It is safe to say that the legacy of jazz in Seattle will thrive for generations to come.

Visit the Earshot Jazz Festival website

Check out the winners of the Essential Ellington Festival

Listen to Essential Ellington finalist performances at the Jazz at Lincoln Center archives.

Watch Roosevelt High School Jazz Alive Show on Youtube.

Watch Scott Brown, Roosevelt H.S. Jazz Band Director, Winner of the KCTS Golden Apple Award in 2007.