Racism in the Clubs - Revision history

Ccarlsson: added photo

2020-06-04T23:22:00Z

added photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:22, 4 June 2020
Line 14:		Line 14:

	Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.		Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.

			[[Image:VERNON-ALLEY-at-the-MATADOR.jpg]]

			'''Vernon Alley playing at the Matador club, c. 1950s.'''

			''Photo: courtesy Dick Boyd''

	On some occasions, the white union picketed white musicians who played in black clubs, but no one I interviewed recalled the black union picketing black musicians who played in white clubs. Drummer Dick Berk has some thoughts on that period, from a Jewish perspective: "I, at the time, didn't belong to any union. And I was playing at Bop City." Independent musicians like Dick Berk were usually pressured to join the union. Sammy Simpson, tenor saxophone player and president of the black union, was a good friend of Dick. Sammy asked Dick to join the black union, even though Dick was Jewish. Feeling honored and surprised, Dick responded: 'And I said, 'Well, can I?' He says, 'I'm the president of the black union, so you can join it." And Berk did, possibly becoming the first white musician to join a black union...		On some occasions, the white union picketed white musicians who played in black clubs, but no one I interviewed recalled the black union picketing black musicians who played in white clubs. Drummer Dick Berk has some thoughts on that period, from a Jewish perspective: "I, at the time, didn't belong to any union. And I was playing at Bop City." Independent musicians like Dick Berk were usually pressured to join the union. Sammy Simpson, tenor saxophone player and president of the black union, was a good friend of Dick. Sammy asked Dick to join the black union, even though Dick was Jewish. Feeling honored and surprised, Dick responded: 'And I said, 'Well, can I?' He says, 'I'm the president of the black union, so you can join it." And Berk did, possibly becoming the first white musician to join a black union...

Lisaruth: edited link on first photo caption

2015-02-23T00:20:56Z

edited link on first photo caption

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:20, 22 February 2015
Line 5:		Line 5:
	'''Wesley F. [[Wesley Johnson Senior \|Johnson]], Sr. in the early 1950s, at his former [[SF's Jazz Scene \|nightclub]], the Texas Playhouse, also known as Club Flamingo. It was on Fillmore between Sutter and Bush Streets.'''		'''Wesley F. [[Wesley Johnson Senior \|Johnson]], Sr. in the early 1950s, at his former [[SF's Jazz Scene \|nightclub]], the Texas Playhouse, also known as Club Flamingo. It was on Fillmore between Sutter and Bush Streets.'''

	''Photo: [http://www.~~sfblackhistory~~.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: [http://www.sfaahcs.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

	[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|460px]]		[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|460px]]

Ccarlsson: added recently contributed photo

2011-12-04T19:59:50Z

added recently contributed photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:59, 4 December 2011
Line 9:		Line 9:
	[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|460px]]		[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|460px]]

	'''At the front door of the Texas Playhouse.'''		'''At the front door of the Texas Playhouse/Club Flamingo.'''

	''Photo: Smash''		''Photo: Smash''

Ccarlsson: added recently contributed photo

2011-12-04T19:59:18Z

added recently contributed photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:59, 4 December 2011
Line 7:		Line 7:
	''Photo: [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

	[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|~~360px~~]]		[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|460px]]

	'''At the front door of the Texas Playhouse.'''		'''At the front door of the Texas Playhouse.'''

Ccarlsson: added recently contributed photo

2011-12-04T19:58:20Z

added recently contributed photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 4 December 2011
Line 6:		Line 6:

	''Photo: [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

			[[Image:TexasPlayhouseClubFlamingo.jpg\|360px]]

			'''At the front door of the Texas Playhouse.'''

			''Photo: Smash''

	Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.		Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.

Ccarlsson: PC

2008-12-29T06:54:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:54, 28 December 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
			'''<font face = arial light> <font color = maroon> <font size = 3>Unfinished History</font></font> </font>'''

	[[Image:aframer1$wesley-johnson.jpg]]		[[Image:aframer1$wesley-johnson.jpg]]

Ccarlsson at 21:17, 5 October 2008

2008-10-05T21:17:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:17, 5 October 2008
Line 18:		Line 18:
	[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]		[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]

	[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:TenderNob]]		[[category:African-American]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:TenderNob]]

Ccarlsson at 08:10, 25 August 2008

2008-08-25T08:10:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:10, 25 August 2008
Line 18:		Line 18:
	[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]		[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]

	[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:~~Tendernob~~]]		[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:TenderNob]]

Ccarlsson at 03:13, 1 August 2008

2008-08-01T03:13:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:13, 31 July 2008
Line 2:		Line 2:

	'''Wesley F. [[Wesley Johnson Senior \|Johnson]], Sr. in the early 1950s, at his former [[SF's Jazz Scene \|nightclub]], the Texas Playhouse, also known as Club Flamingo. It was on Fillmore between Sutter and Bush Streets.'''		'''Wesley F. [[Wesley Johnson Senior \|Johnson]], Sr. in the early 1950s, at his former [[SF's Jazz Scene \|nightclub]], the Texas Playhouse, also known as Club Flamingo. It was on Fillmore between Sutter and Bush Streets.'''

			''Photo: [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

	Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.		Bassist Vernon Alley, a San Francisco native, describes, from his black perspective "the time in San Francisco when black bands couldn't play east of Van Ness Avenue, and that's true. I was a part of it. I was one of the guys who helped bring it down. [[Saunders King: S.K.'s Blues \|Saunders King]] had a little group and we played down at Sutter and Powell at a place called the South Seas. There were [other] musicians' unions and the other [white] musicians' union used to fight having us play downtown. Unless it was a place like Zanzibar, Plantation, an African name, the Cotton Club or something like that." Many a black musician struggled to make a living by playing behind curtains for tourists at strip joints, out of sight so the audience could concentrate on the strippers. It was demeaning work, but it was steady.
Line 13:		Line 15:
	--Carol Chamberland		--Carol Chamberland

	~~photo courtesy [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''~~

	[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]		[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]

	[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Tendernob]]		[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Tendernob]]

Ccarlsson at 03:13, 1 August 2008

2008-08-01T03:13:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:13, 31 July 2008
Line 15:		Line 15:
	photo courtesy [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		photo courtesy [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ ''African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

	[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[~~African-American Menu Text~~ \|Next Document]]		[[Mary Ellen Pleasant \|Prev. Document]] [[Wesley_Johnson_Senior\|Next Document]]

	[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Tendernob]]		[[category:Af-Am]] [[category:music]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Tendernob]]