Embedded Files
Notes from New York Age
Notes from New York Age
New York Age was one of the most influential African-American newspapers published in New York City.
While conducting our research, we discovered that the newspaper had various "correspondents" stationed in Albany, who on occasion, would venture into Swing Era clubs in Albany. Ergo, we had eyes and ears in some of the black clubs in Albany.
We read the paper from 1938 through 1942 at the New York State Library. Unfortunately, one of the microfilm reels went missing, so there is a gap in our coverage.
The entries provide a facinating look into the entertainers and venues in Albany. Below, please find our notes, which consist of verbatim quotes from the newspaper.
The entries in the newspaper tended to be reports of social clubs, churches and of "society" in general. On occasion, a gossip-column section entitled "The Trucker" would include information on happenings in night clubs and concert halls.
New York Age
Log
1939
Jan. 14 – Scotty & his Missourians furnished music at Inter-Racial Council and Booker T. Washington Center Christmas Dance.
Some entertainers at Harlem Grill: Hazel Coles, Mabel Alberts, Pearl Fredericks, Swifty Carrouthers, Jimmy Williams
Jacob (John?) Lawyer’s band is at 68 Club (see personnel at Rosters of Bands).
Feb. 11 – Billy Tucker and his Playboys to furnish music at Elite Club’s March 17th vaudeville show.
Feb. 18 – Jake Small from the 68 Club attended the Community Social Center Review at 31 Green St. (Roseland)
Feb. 25 – Virginia Smith, piano at 68 Club
Charlie Van’s (Big Charlie’s) filled with ofays.
Mar. 4 – Rookie Davis coming to Club Morocco in Troy in April (see personnel at Rosters of Bands)
Mar. 11 – Buster Jackson and his Royal Garden Swingsters (Troy ?) with Freddie Bennett, tpt.
Ruff VanDeusen at Big Charlie’s
Apr. 8 – Things are always jumping with ofays at Big Charlie’s.
Apr. 15 – Gladys Ellis, Althia Myers, Viola McCoy, Jakie Small are doubling at Club Paradise from 68 Club every weekend (whatever that means).
Apr. 22 – Mrs. Bessie Dorival died from pneumonia in NYC; used to sing at Charlie Van’s Harlem Grill (Big Charlie’s). See Gus Dorival on Musician’s list.
May 13 – Miss Viola McCoy sang on Major Bowes’ Amateur Hour last Thursday evening; Expects to return to Albany shortly.
May 27 – Gladys Ellis, Doris Moore, Alfred Freeman, guitar, and Jake Small entertained at the opening of the new Snappy’s Men’s Shop on Central Ave.
“Jake Small and Gladys Ellis are expecting to leave the city Sunday or Monday working with Francis Murphy’s Orchestra (white). Sunday they worked at the K of C Hall and Monday at the Ten Eyck Hotel.”
June 17 – George Scott (Scotty & His Missourians ?), 9 Dallius St., well known band leader had a birthday party. All the musicians and entertainers in town were there.
July 1 – The New Swing Club, formerly Club 33, opened last Monday with well known and popular entertainers: Ruth Johnson, Marie Pollard, Edith Bedell.
68 Club without a soul Saturday night; the Hollywood is jumping.
July 15 – New Roseland Dance Hall opens at 31 Green St with Caravan Dining Room below. Music by Jackie Lawyer & his Brown Buddies, fast approaching the title of best playing aggregation in the Cap. Dist.
Note: A hint about why Jackie Lawyer’s band is the favorite in this column: Jackie is noted as the son of Mr. & Mrs. Lawyer, 778 14th St., Watervliet, NY. Later in the Troy column readers are directed to send items for the column to 778 114th (sic) St., Watervliet, NY (114 is a typo, there is no 114th St. in Watervliet).
July 29 – Jitterbug contest at Roseland Dance Hall, MC Jakie Small, music by Billy Tucker’s band.
Jerome VanDeusen is at Big Charlie’s Harlem Grill.
Aug. 5 – Three Devils of Rhythm dance team is Jakie Small, George Tuggle and a new unnamed woman (later identified as Gladys James).
Aug. 12 – Versatile Girls Club (Troy) is bringing Ella Fitzgerald and her Orch. to their Aug. 30th dance at “Showboat” (the New Lebanon club ?)
Aug. 19 – Devils of Rhythm opened at the Swing Inn (Troy ?)
Sept. 16 – Rookie Davis’ Orch. featuring Banjo Bernie closed the summer season at the Labor Day Dance at Shaffer’s Grove. They are booked to play for the winter at the Morocco Club in the Troy Hotel. Trucker: “We hear that Rookie Davis and Banjo Bernie are back in town, but give me the Brown Buddies.”
James Randolf, Jr. is the manager at the Roseland Dance Hall and the Caravan Restaurant.
Sept 30 – Rumor: Al Freeman, formerly with the Brown Buddies at Roseland Ballroom, will be taking over the band of the late Ruff VanDeusen at Charlie Van’s (Big Charlie’s). Band had been managed by Ruff’s widow Gladys.
Oct. 7 – James Randolph has opened the Fort Orange Club on Broadway. He has engaged Tucker and his Playboys but when business warrants it is rumored he will send for Jackie Lawyer and his Brown Buddies. Singers Yvonne Williams and Gwendolyn Tynes (from Montreal, had been in Jackie Lawyer’s band) as singers.
Jackie Lawyer and his Brown Buddies closed at Roseland, are heading to an engagement in Elmira, NY. Lottie Lawyer, singer and dancer, is Jackie’s sister.
Gus Roberson is now at the Roseland.
Oct. 21 – Three Lucky Bucks dance team is George Brown, Earl Green and Charles Halloway.
Jackie Lawyer’s band in Elmira is billed as Miss Edith Bedell and her Band.
Oct. 28 – Jake Small’s wife is Mildred Tracy Small.
Mr. Rose of Roseland Ballroom has changed the entertainment a little. Jakie Small and his cute little Doris are performing, music by Jackie Lawyer and his Brown Buddies.
Nov. 11 – Brown Buddies at Democratic Meeting – free eats and beer.
Roseland was jumping Saturday. Jake Small is the MC now.
John McCullough was mentioned: “ seemed to be doing alright with a girl named E. C.” (is this the McCullough who took over for Mike Pantone?)
Nov. 18 – Jackie Lawyer and his Brown Buddies at dance given by Girls Versatile Club of Troy at the new Superior Ballroom.
Nov. 25 – Rhythm Club, 61 Madison Ave., has opened up a barbeque shack.
Jackie Lawyer provided music for NCAAP Boxing Smoker and Dance. Billy Simpson and Leroy Collier guest soloists.
Dec. 16 – Young Women’s Square Deal Club will hold their winter ball at Odd Fellows Hall. Jackie Lawyer’s famous orchestra provides the music.
Dec. 23 – Jackie Lawyer at Tiara Club dance in Schenectady.
Jackie Lawyer & Brown Buddies moving from Roseland to an indefinite engagement at the University Grill on Hudson Ave.
Dec. 30 -- Trucker: “University Grill an ofay nite club, much better job.”
1940
Jan. 6 – Opening: The Rhythm Club by Charlie Miller and Ruff VanDeusen (Ruff died in 1939).
Jackie Lawyer and his Brown Buddies are playing at the University Grill, “the best ofay nite club in the city.” (see personnel at Rosters of Bands)
Feb 24 – Roy Eldridge and his 16 piece band were at the Rhythm Club, 61 Madison Ave., last week.
Mar. 23 – Dining Car Men’s Local 370 are bringing Count Basie to Odd Fellows Hall, Beaver St., Apr. 1st.
Mar 13 – same group is bringing Erskine Hawkins to the same place Apr. 22nd.
Count Basie concert had attendance of about 1500 people. The band went to the Rhythm Club and the Hollywood after the concert.
May 4 – Erskine Hawkins concert was crowded with white musicians coming out to hear and meet Hawkins, get autographs, etc.
New York Age
Log
1941
October 11 – Miss Fifi Wraye, entertainer at the Broadway hotel, has announced her engagement to King Oliver Price, a musician at the same hotel.
The Broadway Hotel had their opening last Saturday with a new band and show directly from New York City. The band had just finished an engagement from the Bankers Club in Atlantic City. “Rookie” Davis and her Debonnaires” is a very good swing band and is composed of the following men: Earl Jackson reed, Frank (Pat) Patton alto, King Oliver, tenor and arranger, Jesse Brown, trumpet, Tommy Crauston, trombone, Lonnie Giles, Bass violin, Banjo Bernie, piano, Melvin Butler, guitar, Milo Murdoch drums.
Mrs. Davis puts on a very good show with the following artist: Fifi Wanger, Blues singer, Billy Keith, torch singer, Chiquite, Shake dancer, and how she shakes. Davis and Davis, Rhumba team. The little Wraye girl brought down the house. Mrs. Rookie Davis, comedian works very hard to put over this very good show.
October 25
Some new men have been engaged for the Rookie’s Debonnaire Band playing nightly at the Broadway Hotel Grill. The men are Drummer Walter Hesseley, Trumpet, Ernest Thompson, Sax, Ted Crowell, who had been in an accident and has returned from Kansas City, who formerly played in Jay McShane’s Band before joining up with Rookie. The Band is doing well at the hotel, and the show that Mrs. Rookie Davis puts on nightly is the talk of the town.
Nov. 8
New singer at Broadway hotel – Ruelea Lewis.
Hollywood – “Smiling Gus” holding down the fort with his new piano player, Ruth Moore Mason and Billy Douglas.
You should see the new Rhythm Club. It is really the most beautiful little spot in the city or out of the city for that matter. Dorothy and Ruff should pat themselves on the shoulder for having such a fine piece of work done. Vernon Young who did all of the designing, color schemes and lighting, who is a native of Africa, imported the wallpaper from that country. The place will have the largest “Juke box” in the State. Slots boxes at the tables, no need to go to the box.
Nov. 22
The finest show that has ever been in the Hollywood is playing there now. The entertainers are the following Chuck Howard, who has been in the best hot spots of the country is the MC. Annetta Browne, the jitterbug queen, Goldie Carey, Slave dancer. “Sheila”, torso twister, my how that girl can twist, and last but not least, Gussie Washington, the swing stylist. Be sure to see these fine performers.
Nov. 29
Cab Calloway has taken Albany by storm, the first week of his seventeen engagement. No other band has drawn the crowds to the Kenmore where he and his band are playing. Friday afternoon, he appeared at the Kresge ten cent store and he was mobbed for autographs, which he willingly gave. On Wednesday, Bob Murphy, manager of the hotel, took Cab to call on Governor Herbert H. Lehman. In a fifteen minute interview, the Governor showed Cab some of his model ships. He also told Cab that he liked his “Hi De Ho” , that he liked swing music in general and he liked Bab’s music and band in particular. Tuesday evening, we dropped in the Kenmore, through the courtesy of Bob Murphy to hear the band and to see the show.
December 13
Drizzly foggy night, was Thursday, December 4th, when Count Basie and his Band blew into Troy, NY to play for the Girls’ Versatile Club Dance…
1942
January 21
After the basketball game at the Center last Thursday evening, dancing was enjoyed. The music was from the swinging tunes of the band from the Broadway Grill. King O. Price was hitting ivory keys, Leo Algers, bass, Teddy Power, Sax, Randolph Wingfield, Trumpet, and George Clark beat those drums.
Speaking of the band, all the girls at the Grill were practically newcomers to Albany. They are Gertrude Truman, Shake Dancer, Estelle Baily, Songstress Deluxe, Baby Frances, Versatile Song and Dance, Fifi Prince, Songs As You Like Them, Bernice Burnett, Singer, and Aleithia Myers, Exotic Dancer. These girls really are very good. Aleithia left the Grill Thursday night to star in the Hill Side Club in Rensselaer, with Banjo Bernie’s Night Club on Sheridan Avenue.
February 2
The Original Debs About Town present a mardi-gras at and for the benefit of the Center on Monday evening March 2nd. Music will be by Jimmy McGriff and His Society Orchestra.
April 4
Girl’s Versatile Club banquet at the Hi-Di-HO Club – Middleburg and 7th, Troy – Dewey Beasly and His Orchestra
May 2
Charlie Miller gave a banquet recently in honor of his basketball team and all the Center teams at the Broadway Grill of which he is the owner.
May 23
Victory Dance in Troy sponsored by “We Moderns”. Band – Jack Lawyer and His Brown Buddies.
June 12
Miss Jean Eldridge, who used to sing with some of the big-name bands, Duke Ellington and Teddy Wilson, is in Albany, at the Terrace Garden, on the Albany-Schenectady Road, under the Banner of C.B.S, filling an indefinite engagement.
June 27
Jean Eldridge is really knocking them dead at the Terrace Garden…
(note: a couple of mentions of entertainment, in private parties, provided by entertainers from Big Charlie’s)
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse