- Club DeLisa
-
Club DeLisa Location 5521 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois, USAType Nightclub Genre(s) Blues
Jazz
Bebop
Rhythm and blues
SoulOpened 1934 Closed 1958 Capacity 1,000 seats The Club Location 5521 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois, USAType Nightclub Genre(s) Blues
Jazz
Bebop
Rhythm and blues
SoulOpened 1966 Closed ? Capacity 1,000 seats The Club DeLisa,[1] also written Delisa or De Lisa, at State Street and Garfield Avenue, on the South Side, was an important nightclub and music venue in Chicago.
While possibly not the most prestigious venue in the city,[2] together with the Regal Theater and the Rhumboogie Café, the 1000-seat[2] Club DeLisa played a key role in the city's association with jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and soul music. It closed in 1958,[3] but was re-opened as The Club in 1966.[4][5]
Club DeLisa
The Club DeLisa was owned by the four DeLisa brothers. It opened in 1934. In 1941, the original building burned down but was soon replaced with the New Club DeLisa. Nightly entertainment at the club was in a variety-show format. The show featured singers, comedians, dancers, and the DeLisa chorines, accompanied by a house band that ranged in size from 7 to 12 pieces, depending on the club's revenues. Another less heralded source of revenue was gambling, in the club's basement.
Among the musicians and performers associated with the venue over the years were undoubtedly Red Saunders, whose band was in residence from 1937–45 and 1947–58,[6] Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Sun Ra, Johnny Pate, Joe Williams, LaVaughn Robinson, George Kirby, Sonny Cohn, Earl Washington, Leon Washington,[7] Albert Ammons[8] and LaVern Baker.[2]
The Club DeLisa closed its doors in February 1958, after the deaths of two of the DeLisa brothers. The closing was commemorated in Jet magazine.
The Club
When DJs E. Rodney Jones and Pervis Spann re-opened the venue under the new name,[5] Cannonball Adderley's quintet was one of the first bands to perform there, in March 1966. Although Adderley's October 1966 album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club' was supposedly recorded at the venue (under a new name and management), it was in fact recorded at Capitol's Hollywood studio with a live audience.[5] The tracks later released on Money in the Pocket had in fact been recorded live at The Club.[5]
References
- ^ DuSable Museum
- ^ a b c Deffaa, Chip Blue rhythms: six lives in rhythm and blues University of Illinois Press, 1996 ISBN 0252022033, 9780252022036 at Google Books
- ^ Pruter, Robert Doowop: the Chicago scene University of Illinois Press, 1997 ISBN 0252065069, 9780252065064 at Google Books
- ^ Pruter, Robert Chicago Soul University of Illinois Press, 1992 ISBN 0252062590, 9780252062599
- ^ a b c d Liner notes by Michael Cuscuna for Money in the Pocket at Cannonball Adderley official web site
- ^ The Red Saunders Research Foundation
- ^ Biography at allmusic
- ^ allaboutjazz.com
Categories:- Jazz clubs in the United States
- Music venues in Chicago, Illinois
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