The Music Box was a very large and popular music club that opened its doors in 1960. Located at 10616 Euclid Avenue, it was across Euclid from where another popular music club of the time, Towne Casino, was located nine years prior. The Music Box hosted a variety of entertainment acts ranging from jazz musicians, […]
In 1935, Benjamin “Benny” Mason purchased a 160-acre farm in Solon on Cochran Road south of Route 43 and established what became known as “Mason’s Farm,” a popular resort, country club, and jazz venue. A well-known game operator, Mason purchased the farm and the Cedar Country Club subsequently opened in 1936. Upon the farm’s opening, […]
Cedar Gardens was a restaurant and night spot that achieved regional and even national renown as a “black and tan” club in the 1930s and 1940s. Jacob Hecht opened Cedar Gardens at 9706 Cedar Avenue in January 1934. Hecht, who was White, had hired 65 employees by 1937, all of whom were Black. He turned […]
Val’s was a jazz nightclub on the north side of Cedar Avenue near East 86th Street in Cleveland. The club was also known as “Val’s in the Alley” because of its location in a back alley called Vienna Court. One attendee recalled, “We called it Val’s in the alley because it was back off the […]
The Blue Grass Club opened in 1944 on the second floor of a building at 2173 East 55th Street just south of Cedar Avenue. Owned by high roller Benny Mason (also the proprietor of Mason’s Farm in Solon) and Rodger Price (who also owned the Log Cabin and later opened United Recreation, the city’s first […]
Cafe Tia Juana opened in 1947 and was in operation until 1969. Cafe Tia Juana was located in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood. Located at 1045 East 105th Street, Cafe Tia Juana was a safe place for African American travelers as well as residents of the Glenville neighborhood to grab a drink and watch numerous jazz musicians […]
The Douglas Club was located at 7917 Cedar Avenue in Cleveland. Its name, sometimes spelled Douglass, suggests that it may have derived from the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The club opened at an unspecified date in the early 1930s and reportedly started on East 40th Street before moving in 1935 to the Cedar Avenue location […]
El Morocco Lounge Bar officially opened its doors to the public on February 17, 1944. Located at 8219 Cedar Avenue and operated by brothers Bill and Melvin Blackmon, originally from Alabama, the glamorous lounge offered an extensive selection of fine liquors. A notable feature of El Morocco was the desert motif on its walls, painted […]
Gleason’s, variously referred to as Gleason’s Bar, Gleason’s Musical Bar, Gleason’s Cafe, and Gleason’s Restaurant, was a bar and restaurant located at 5219 Woodland Ave., at the corner of Woodland and East 55th Street. It was founded by William “Jap” Gleason in 1944. Prior to opening the restaurant, Gleason had been a manager for Alonzo […]
The Harlem Social Club opened on September 25, 1941. The proprietor, Alright “Al” Murdock, had previously run the Ever-Ready Beer Garden for six years before selling it to the Workingmen’s Social and Literary Club in 1941. He sold the Beer Garden to take time off for his health following a car accident. Only a few […]
Lake Glen, sometimes spelled Lake Glenn in newspaper coverage, was a Black country club and entertainment venue located at 4572 Akron-Cleveland Road, nestled in the Cuyahoga Valley between Peninsula and Cuyahoga Falls. The club, in operation from 1950 to 1964, was approximately 26 miles away from Cleveland and sat on 13 acres of land. It […]
Leo’s first opened in 1952 at 4817 Central Avenue and was owned by Leo Frank. It operated as a bar, but later expanded to a jazz room. In 1962, Leo’s burned down, and in 1963, Frank opened Leo’s Casino at 7500 Euclid Avenue. The club was known for having racially mixed audiences despite high tensions […]