An Historical Dilemma...Where would you have gone?

[Craig Garfinkel]

Stumbled upon this while surfing the web for Scott LaFaro info. Here's what was listed in The New Yorker's "Goings On About Town" jazz listings. I was only about six weeks old, but if I knew then what I know now, I'd have had a serious problem deciding where to go for the hang. What would you have done?

"Goings on About Town" from The New Yorker, 12 March 1960:

Arpeggio, 144 E 52 St -- Ernestine Anderson
Basin St. East, 137 E 48 St -- Peggy Lee ; Ray Bryant 3
Birdland, 1678 B'way at 52 St -- Count Basie ; Bill Evans 3
Eddie Condon's 330 E 56 St -- Buck Clayton, Mousie Alexander
Five Spot, 5 Cooper Sq -- Kenny Dorham 5 ; Roy Haynes 3
Half Note, 289 Hudson St -- Lennie Tristano 5
Hickory House, 144 W 52 St -- D. Mitchell / W. Ruff 2
Jazz Gallery, 80 St. Mark's Pl -- Horace Silver 5 ; Max Roach 5
Jimmy Ryan's, 53 W 52 St -- Wilbur and Sidney de Paris
Metropole, 7th Ave S at 48 St -- Dizzy Gillespie 5 ; Red Allen 6
Showplace, 146 W. 4 St -- Charles Mingus 5
Village Gate, 185 Thompson St -- H. Belafonte Folk Singers
Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Ave S -- Miriam Makeba

[westland]

I would have been about 10 at that time, so too young to get into the various clubs (which I surely would have done were I older). But I remember running around NYC in those days. My grandmother lived in New Jersey (she had been a Rockettes-style dancer in the 20s in NYC) and we used to run around the city. Definitely different than today. A lot more lively, and a lot more retail action on the street. It was a fun city, and unfortunately is today only a shadow of what it was in the 50s and 60s.

[shwashwa]

well, i wasnt born yet, but i definately would have had to go to birdland, although you couldnt go wrong with any of that... i'd need to see the bill evans trio though..(and throw in basie to boot! some serious swinging.. )

[Freddels]

Just goes to show that at one time it WAS a jazz festival every night.

[Bruce Lindfield]

It would have been very difficult, but I think on personal preference and value for money, it would have been :

"Jazz Gallery, 80 St. Mark's Pl -- Horace Silver 5 ; Max Roach 5"


I'm torn with seeing Mingus - but I think it might have been too 'frightening'....?

[godoze]

Mingus...

[Marcus Johnson]

My first choice would have been Mingus, but Lennie Tristano would be right up there. Any one of 'em would be fine.

Great post & thread; thanks.

[Ed Fuqua]

The great thing about the Aulden Times is that most of these gigs were long running. Lennie was at the Half Note for about 5 months straight, Hickory House was a long running gig (Marianne McPartland was able to go through about 20 bass players in her tenure there), likewise Birdland, the Five Spot, the Metropole...

[Craig Garfinkel]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

The great thing about the Aulden Times is that most of these gigs were long running. Lennie was at the Half Note for about 5 months straight, Hickory House was a long running gig (Marianne McPartland was able to go through about 20 bass players in her tenure there), likewise Birdland, the Five Spot, the Metropole...

So true...usually a week minimum to two weeks for the cats touring the country, then there were the long-running gigs as you point out.

Let's see if we can list as many of the bass players as we can that would've been on those gigs. Of course Mingus, and LaFaro was with Bill Evans. I'm gonna do some Googlin' to see who else I can confirm.

Any you know for sure Ed?

[Craig Garfinkel]

My first minute on Goggle, and dig this...

http://archivesofamericanart.si.edu/...o/mitchell.htm