Café Bohemia
Encyclopedia
The Café Bohemia was a jazz club located at 15 Barrow Street in the Greenwich Village
neighbourhood of New York City
.
was living across the street from the club with poet Ted Joans
. Parker offered to play the club for Garofolo, which unofficially began the room's short-lived life as a jazz club. Parker died prior to the beginning of his engagement at the Bohemia, however the hype generated around his name being promoted was enough to garner further support for the new club.
Among the bands that played the club were the first Miles Davis
Quintet, Art Blakey
's original Jazz Messengers, and Kenny Dorham
's Jazz Prophets. At one point Herbie Nichols
was the intermission pianist. Miles Davis's Prestige
recordings Workin
, Relaxin
, Steamin
, and Cookin
were meant to convey the spirit of the group's performances at the Bohemia. This is most evident on Workin where the band's set closer "The Theme" is played at the end of each side of the record, and one piano trio number, "Ahmad's Blues", is featured.
Oscar Pettiford
penned the song "Bohemia After Dark" in spirit of the club.
The cover photograph of the Miles Davis record 'Round About Midnight
was one of several taken by Marvin Koner during the quintet's stay at the club in 1956. The photograph retains the actual colouring but is cropped from the original. The red hue was due to a red fluorescent light above the bandstand.
The building of the defunct Café Bohemia is now occupied by the Barrow Street Ale House.
arrived in New York on a trip for the former to work on his Master's Degree at New York University
. That first night in the city the brothers went to the Café Bohemia to hear the Oscar Pettiford band, which was the club's house band at the time. Jerome Richardson
, who was the group's regular saxophonist was unavailable that evening due to a recording session. Pettiford asked Charlie Rouse
- who was in the audience - if he would sit in, however Rouse did not have his saxophone with him. Pettiford then noticed another audience member, Adderley, who had a saxophone case with him and told Rouse to ask this unknown man if he could borrow his horn. Instead of lending the horn Adderley asked if he could sit in with the group. Reluctantly, the leader complied and allowed Adderley to play. Overnight Adderley rose to prominence on the New York jazz scene. On 21 June he officially played his first night at the Bohemia; on 28 June he made his first recording with Pettiford's group; on 14 July he recorded his first album as a leader. By October 1957 he was a member of the Miles Davis Sextet.
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
neighbourhood of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
History
The club was opened in 1955 by Jimmy Garofolo. Garofolo had owned the room since 1949 and had operated it as a restaurant, bar, and stage at various times, each endeavour turning out unsuccessfully. In 1955, saxophonist Charlie ParkerCharlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
was living across the street from the club with poet Ted Joans
Ted Joans
Theodore "Ted" Joans was an American trumpeter, jazz poet and painter.Joans was born in Cairo, Illinois, but not on a riverboat as had been claimed. He earned a degree in fine arts from Indiana University. He later associated with writers of the Beat Generation in Greenwich Village and San Francisco...
. Parker offered to play the club for Garofolo, which unofficially began the room's short-lived life as a jazz club. Parker died prior to the beginning of his engagement at the Bohemia, however the hype generated around his name being promoted was enough to garner further support for the new club.
Among the bands that played the club were the first Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
Quintet, Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
's original Jazz Messengers, and Kenny Dorham
Kenny Dorham
McKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
's Jazz Prophets. At one point Herbie Nichols
Herbie Nichols
Herbie Nichols , was an American jazz pianist and composer who wrote the jazz standard "Lady Sings the Blues". Obscure during his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics.-Life:...
was the intermission pianist. Miles Davis's Prestige
Prestige Records
Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
recordings Workin
Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by Miles Davis. Two sessions on 11 May 1956 and 26 October in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet...
, Relaxin
Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by Miles Davis. Two sessions on 11 May 1956 and 26 October in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet...
, Steamin
Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by Miles Davis. Two sessions on May 11, 1956 and October 26 in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet...
, and Cookin
Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by the Miles Davis Quintet. Two sessions 11 May 1956 and 26 October in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Workin' with The Miles Davis...
were meant to convey the spirit of the group's performances at the Bohemia. This is most evident on Workin where the band's set closer "The Theme" is played at the end of each side of the record, and one piano trio number, "Ahmad's Blues", is featured.
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
penned the song "Bohemia After Dark" in spirit of the club.
The cover photograph of the Miles Davis record 'Round About Midnight
'Round About Midnight
'Round About Midnight is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It was his debut on Columbia Records, and was originally released in March 1957 . The album took its name from the Thelonious Monk song 'Round Midnight"....
was one of several taken by Marvin Koner during the quintet's stay at the club in 1956. The photograph retains the actual colouring but is cropped from the original. The red hue was due to a red fluorescent light above the bandstand.
The building of the defunct Café Bohemia is now occupied by the Barrow Street Ale House.
Cannonball Adderley's New York Debut
On 19 June 1955 Julian and Nat AdderleyNat Adderley
Nathaniel Adderley was an American jazz cornet and trumpet player who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley....
arrived in New York on a trip for the former to work on his Master's Degree at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. That first night in the city the brothers went to the Café Bohemia to hear the Oscar Pettiford band, which was the club's house band at the time. Jerome Richardson
Jerome Richardson
Jerome Richardson was an American jazz musician, tenor saxophonist, and flute player, who also played alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet and piccolo...
, who was the group's regular saxophonist was unavailable that evening due to a recording session. Pettiford asked Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by the collaboration for more than ten years with Thelonious Monk.- Biography :...
- who was in the audience - if he would sit in, however Rouse did not have his saxophone with him. Pettiford then noticed another audience member, Adderley, who had a saxophone case with him and told Rouse to ask this unknown man if he could borrow his horn. Instead of lending the horn Adderley asked if he could sit in with the group. Reluctantly, the leader complied and allowed Adderley to play. Overnight Adderley rose to prominence on the New York jazz scene. On 21 June he officially played his first night at the Bohemia; on 28 June he made his first recording with Pettiford's group; on 14 July he recorded his first album as a leader. By October 1957 he was a member of the Miles Davis Sextet.
Live Recordings
- Kenny Dorham - 'Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia'Round About Midnight at the Cafe BohemiaRound About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia is a live album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham featuring performances recorded in 1956 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was originally released in 1956 in two volumes with a third volume released later on the Japanese Blue Note label...
(Blue Note) - Art Blakey - The Jazz Messengers at the Café Bohemia, Volume 1At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 is a 1955 live album release by jazz drummer Art Blakey for Blue Note Records. It featured the third incarnation of the Jazz Messengers, Blakey's career-spanning band, and is the first of two volumes recorded on November 23, 1955 at Café Bohemia, a famous night club in...
-2At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 is a 1955 live album release by jazz drummer Art Blakey. It was first released by Blue Note Records. This record featured the third incarnation of The Jazz Messengers, one of Blakey's most endearing bands, and was the second of two volumes recorded at Café Bohemia, a...
(Blue Note) - Randy Weston - Jazz à la Bohemia (Riverside)
- Charles Mingus - Mingus at the BohemiaMingus at the BohemiaMingus at the Bohemia is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded during a live concert and released in 1955. Further recordings from the concert were released under the title The Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach.- The music :...
(Debut) - Kenny Clarke - Bohemia After DarkBohemia After DarkBohemia After Dark is an album by jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, featuring the earliest recordings by Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley, produced for the Savoy label...
(Savoy) - George Wallington - George Wallington Quintet at the Bohemia (Progressive)