4 days of special programming to highlight Baker's anniversary
The owner of Baker's Keyboard Lounge, Detroit's legendary jazz club on the brink of its 75th anniversary, pauses as he considers the question: What's your most memorable night at the club? Advertisement
A big smile spreads across John Colbert's face and he reaches for scrapbook photos of trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Charles McPherson and trombonist Curtis Fuller--three of the all-time great jazz musicians produced by Detroit--taken on the stage of the cozy nightspot at Livernois and 8 Mile at the club's 70th birthday.
“It was vintage Baker's," says Colbert, speaking Sunday evening at the club. “So in sync, everybody on cue and so straight-ahead. It was awesome."
Baker's, one of the world's oldest jazz clubs, celebrates its 75th birthday this weekend with four days of special programming, including a Johnny Trudell Jam Session on Sunday and the Claude Black Trio on Monday. But ever since Colbert went public with the news in March that the club's financial struggles might force him to close, jazz fans and other cultural enthusiasts have been worried that this anniversary would be Baker's swan song.
Colbert, buoyed by a 25% uptick in business and the encouragement of his clientele, now says he's cautiously optimistic that he'll be able to save the club but warned that there are no guarantees. He is exploring several scenarios, including opening a second location downtown with assistance from the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., partnering with a company that would sponsor the music at the club or securing a loan to deliver an infusion of cash. Fund-raisers are also in the works for June.
The owner of Baker's Keyboard Lounge, Detroit's legendary jazz club on the brink of its 75th anniversary, pauses as he considers the question: What's your most memorable night at the club? Advertisement
A big smile spreads across John Colbert's face and he reaches for scrapbook photos of trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Charles McPherson and trombonist Curtis Fuller--three of the all-time great jazz musicians produced by Detroit--taken on the stage of the cozy nightspot at Livernois and 8 Mile at the club's 70th birthday.
“It was vintage Baker's," says Colbert, speaking Sunday evening at the club. “So in sync, everybody on cue and so straight-ahead. It was awesome."
Baker's, one of the world's oldest jazz clubs, celebrates its 75th birthday this weekend with four days of special programming, including a Johnny Trudell Jam Session on Sunday and the Claude Black Trio on Monday. But ever since Colbert went public with the news in March that the club's financial struggles might force him to close, jazz fans and other cultural enthusiasts have been worried that this anniversary would be Baker's swan song.
Colbert, buoyed by a 25% uptick in business and the encouragement of his clientele, now says he's cautiously optimistic that he'll be able to save the club but warned that there are no guarantees. He is exploring several scenarios, including opening a second location downtown with assistance from the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., partnering with a company that would sponsor the music at the club or securing a loan to deliver an infusion of cash. Fund-raisers are also in the works for June.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
