Jackson Street After Hours

In the years surrounding the Second World War, nightclubs lined Seattle's Jackson Street, overflowing with music, dancing patrons, and bootleg liquor. Jazz played around the clock, and musical talents blossomed. Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Ernestine Anderson are just a few of the artists whose careers were launched. Writer Paul de Barros, researcher Ted Dzielak, and photographer Eduardo Calderón document this vibrant scene in a "coffee table" style paperback which is filled with reminiscences of the original participants. Vintage photographs and drawings are interspersed with the duotone portraits created by Calderón.
Quincy Jones said, "I've been waiting for this one for a long time. Every time I look back, I always learn something about my roots."

An excerpt from the first chapter of Jackson Street After Hours,
One night in August 1920, the great Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, who claimed to have "invented" jazz, sat down at the piano at Seattle's Entertainers Club at 12th Avenue South and Main Street, put his big, Creole hands on the keys, and shook the house until the sun came up. . .
At first glance, early Seattle doesn't seem the sort of place where Jelly Roll Morton—or jazz of any kind—would be found . . . Yet several peculiarities made Seattle a fertile spot for jazz. Early on, the town had developed a culture of legalized corruption that tolerated vice in exchange for official payoffs, which in turn supported venues for music. In the 1890s, a honky-tonk atmosphere evolved in Maynard Town (today's Pioneer Square), where a logger or sailor could liven up his weekend. Jazz was also encouraged by the city's passion for theater, which continually exposed the populace to new forms of entertainment.

Excerpts from the second section, A Portfolio of Jazz Artists,
"The first thing I learned, don't ever stand next to anybody in a raid. . . because you never know what'll end up in your pockets. Those were the days when I started carrying my horn either in a shopping bag or something light, because you could always keep it under your arm when you were running." —Floyd Standifer

". . . in Seattle, at that point, all of a sudden I had to become a man." —Ray Charles

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