Home » Jazz Articles » History of Jazz » Showboat's-A-Swingin'
Showboat's-A-Swingin'
Courtesy DC Library
On any given night, one could catch co- bills at DC's Showboat Lounge, like Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete, Coleman Hawkins and Jimmy Witherspoon, Roland Kirk and Carol Hedin among many others.
Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993
Bill Evans
piano1929 - 1980
Shirley Horn
piano1934 - 2005
Earl Hines
piano1903 - 1983
Wes Montgomery
guitar1923 - 1968
Herb Ellis
guitar1921 - 2010
Marshall Hawkins
bass
Teddy Wilson
piano1912 - 1986
Oscar Peterson
piano1925 - 2007
Gene Krupa
drums1909 - 1973
The construction of the Capital Beltway made it easier for residents to be lured away from the cluster of shops and offices located in the downtown area. Before this, the jazz clubs of the city were less frequented than they should have been. The political turmoil constantly surrounding DC also seemed to sweep the entire arts scene under the rug, but the musical dent that it made, not to mention the players native to it (
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
On any given night, one could catch co-bills at DC's Showboat Lounge, such as
Vince Guaraldi
piano1928 - 1976
Bola Sete
guitar1923 - 1987
Coleman Hawkins
saxophone, tenor1904 - 1969
Jimmy Witherspoon
vocals1923 - 1997
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
woodwinds1935 - 1977
Mose Allison
piano and vocals1927 - 2016
The
Charlie Byrd
guitar1925 - 1999
The legacy of the DC Showboat Lounge still lives on, with places like the Songbyrd Record Cafe (located at the original address) and Byrdland Records. Places like this help hold on to the history in a city that once provided a mad house for jazz. DC today has a vibrantly eclectic music scene, that's a hotspot for touring acts from all over the world, across all genres. Places like the Showboat Lounge helped to lay some of the groundwork for the diverse art scenes that now enrich the city.
Sources:
- Dinardo, Kelly. "The Celebrity Filled Past of H-Street." Washingtonian. 1 October, 2001.
- Pagones, John. "Showboat Just Keeps Rolling Along. Washington Post. 15 April, 1962.
- Segraves, John. "Suburbia Gets the Byrd." Washington Star. 12 September, 1967.
- West, I. Hollie. "Showboat: A Jazz Club Sails Away." 28 March, 1978.
Tags
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
Washington
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...Showcase
Featured
Darwin AI: Surivior Choice
By Alex Otey buy
Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
By Antonio Adolfo buyGiveaway
Playlist
Premium
Weekly newsletter
Get more of a good thing
Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes your local jazz events calendar.
Buy Now
