Documentary on Golden Age Jazz in Portland (Oregon)

A. The. Another scene was emerging alongside the big bands and Bulger Portlanders flock to the jazz clubs to see the best entertainers in the West. You know what I mean when you know my name. Mary Lockridge the million dollar grandma and Larry Adair are two icons from the golden era of jazz in Portland at a time when the never ending sounds of hot music lingered in the streets. I was six years old and involved Bill. You know those days you had a movie and then there was the newsreel. And then there would be. One of those shows. And that's where I came to have been playing about. Forty five years I guess. I started when I was 15. I wanted to start a lot sooner but my folks would let me and I loved it since I was four or

five. Jazz has always had a following. Not. As wide a following now possibly as in the 30s and 40s because all the 20s and 30s it was the popular music. During World War Two. We had many yards here the Kaiser shipyards. It was a great influx of people here. They ran 24 hour shifts. And during times of stress. People like to have fun. They need to forget about the stress of war. So often this open to many venues for music in general and a lot of jazz. And if we get off say midnight at the shipyards. And they have a band waiting in the rec room to play for Joe Wimmer got his start playing the clarinet at the hot spots and down after World War 2. Nineteen forty nine and 15 have. My first

professional job. The popularity of jazz grew from the Kaiser shipyards to a network of clubs lining the streets of downtown Portland and up and down north east Williams Avenue. There really wasn't a Friday Saturday night type thing. I mean this well all week long seven days a week downtown Portland was just. Buzzing with clubs. Up and down Broadway on Madison. And there were just clubs everywhere there was a Portland club. And color club. Which was in the Taylor building. For a taste of the tropics there was a ballet high on Southwest 10th and St.. You don't always set just the right mood for Pat O'Neill's quartet to back stars like the Mills Brothers. And see Wilson Dinah Washington and Dorothy band performances were sold out every night of the valley.

It was the best stage in town. But then there was the Cotton Club and there was the sky room which was at the top of the new He's one hotel and then there was a Cherokee club which was a basement of the old Oregon hotel and that's where all the musicians met after work and had jam sessions. And then of course there was Sidney's and the Diamond Horseshoe. The owner of Sydney's with first at Jane's chicken coop. We get off gig for musicians or get off the performance and we come over there and jam. I work in the Cotton Club which was over on the east side. But the original Cotton Club was in the Golden West Hotel that was there when I was a little kid. And. A lot of the big orchestras came in there and my mother used to let me stay up on Saturday night to listen to them on the

radio. And. Bands like Duke Ellington Cab Calloway and co. they say they came down there to play. I was working up the street from Della Reese when she came here and I think the cover charge was a dollar or something like that. You know. So it wasn't a big price you had to pay you know you came in. To enjoy. You know. Among the big name stars to come to town was Louis Armstrong and the Allstars. Portland was their last stop in 1954 World renowned tour that took them to Russia. Louis and his All Stars were appearing at the Paramount. On the Smiths are. Now appearing at the Paramount Theatre that evening and. I guess Louis any money had tried to arrange that we get together the castle Jeff. The original Castle jazz band came together in Portland in 1943

and entertained us for the next half century leader and banjo player Monte Bellew met Louis Armstrong through their mutual love of jazz and they became lifelong friends. The pair couldn't resist having just one jam session together at the 419 club before the big gig at the Paramount comes in a mission at the 1000 club diocese in hand we run down the fairway pop in a cab that money had arranged the pop Broadway pop out. Five door and thus the lobby come down the aisle. Same for mice and people just went wild. As you can imagine the next morning he left with his family to be the first downed. American man was behind him he certainly called them. And from Bath time he received one of his many nicknames in the theory of jazz. Digitally like the ball as the wheel turned on the jazz clubs and

their numbers dwindle from our streets. One of the things that shut down the music business and many others. With the advent of TV he was brought home. Although I think the economics of much of anything contributed to it wouldn't change. As rock we were thinking oh man I can tell you exactly. And I have a different generation and this generation wants something different and their parents. Have. 419 Kolob become the big buildings. I miss the prima donna too that was another place and. Now they've got a national run a lot there. I missed the Jazz quarry because the Jazz for it was a place you went and when you went in there you know it was going to be the popular jazz quarry located on Southwest eleventh and Jefferson was the last of the great jumping jazz clubs from the Golden Era to host regional and national

stars. It closed its doors in 1987. Oh it was just a wonderful time I mean everybody had a good time. There was no violence. You know you could walk the street at 2 o'clock in the morning and feel safe. Mary Lockridge and Larry Adair's union some 32 years ago spark and unmatchable duo that can still be heard. Kelly's Olympian downtown so much you know maybe gaol. You. Lol. Though many of the clubs themselves have faded into the history of the Rose City the lifeblood of jazz still floats here.