CHRONOLOGY OF MUSIC HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES

Excerpt from “Central Avenue - Its Rise and Fall (1890- c.1955)
Including the Musical Renaissance of Black Los Angeles”
 
 

Written by Bette Yarbrough Cox,
Music Educator and Musicologist
Additional references:  MLA/SCC Newsletter, August 2000, no. 72
 MLA/SCC Newsletter, April 2000, no. 71
National Association for the Study and Performance of African-American Music
 
 

PART I

A.  THE MOVE WEST  1848 - 1890

 1848: Gold is discovered in California.
 1872: The First AME Church is founded.
 1885: The Second Baptist Church is founded.
 1890: The first known musicians of color in Los Angeles are singing evangelists:
  The Beck Family.
 

 1890-1910:
ERA OF RELATIVELY HARMONIOUS RACE RELATIONS IN LOS ANGELES
The Ragtime Era   (1895 - 1917)

 Black  musicians are among early pioneers.
 1892: The Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church is founded.
 In...The Salvation Army Band...John Philip Sousa’s Band performs in Los Angeles
with at least one African American musician, Annie Tivett.
Cultural life is reported in early newspapers.
1903: Los Angeles Forum is founded for discussion of important issues.
1904: The Sojourner Truth Industrial Club is formed.
1906: The Pentecostal revival takes place.
1907: A Women’s Day Nursery is formed.
1908: Bill Johnson’s Creole Ragtime Band and other New Orleans Musicians migrate to
  Los Angeles.  Social dance bands of the period, string bands, brass bands
  and ragtime bands play music for dancing.
 

B.  1910 - 1920:
THE RISE OF RACISM AND EMERGENCE OF A CENTRAL “GHETTO”

 Development of a Black community takes place.
 Passage of Restrictive Housing Covenants are frequent.
 The first music record store is owned by Benjamin “Reb” Spikes and brother, John, musicians.
 In 1911 immigration of black musicians and early trained music teachers was frequent.
 The Furlong Tract is the first housing development within the African American  community.
 1911: The first public school for African American children in Los Angeles...51st.
  Street School...first African American school teacher is hired at the school.
1912: The first private school of music in the black community is Wilkins Academy
  ...first piano instructors teach in the school.
 Other private music teachers are teacvhing in the community.
 1912: The Lyons Hotel opens at 11th. and Central catering to a black clientele,  resulting in an out-migration
of whites in the community.  Jelly Roll Morton is in Los Angeles working at the Cadillac Cafe
on Central Avenue, Penny Dance Halls and Newport Bar.
 1913: A local chapter of the NAACP is established.
 1914: The “Birth of a Nation” was produced and protested.
 1915: Jelly Roll Morton remains in Los Angeles.
 1916: The labor issue is prominent.
 1917:The ground breaking takes place for the People’s Independent Church of Christ.
  Jelly Roll Morton published the first jazz composition. With the death of
  Scott Joplin, the ragtime era is ending.  Enter the Jazz Age.
 1918: Housing restrictions are legalized in Los Angeles.
 The first black man, Fred Roberts, is elected to the Legislature in California.
 1920: The Negro Musicians’ Union, Local #767, is formed.  A distinct black district
  exists by this time.  Musicians are “jazzing” their music.
 1920: The Ku Klux Klan marched to City Hall without interference.
 1920: The Women’s Tolerance League succeeds in gaining prohibition of liquor sales.
 
 

PART II

SERVING COMMUNITY NEEDS IN RESPONSE TO DENIAL:
A RENAISSANCE BEGINS

 1920 - 1930: Members of the community are nurturing our own artistic richness.
 1920: Pianists: The Central Avenue community extended thirty blocks south down
  Central, resulting in further geographic intensification and concentration of
  population.  The community has become a “Little Harlem.”  There is a spirit
  of optimism.  By the 1930s, 70% of the black population lived in this district.
 Violinists: Male and female are appearing on programs increasingly.
 There is a prominence of black male musicians and music teachers.
 There is more music in the black churches, choral directors, keyboard artists and
  concert artists.  Second Baptist Church, People’s Independent Church, New
  Hope Church and gospel churches are developing.
 Second Baptist Church: Williams singers annually came from the east to perform.
 A “Star” - born 30 years too soon is prominent concert artist, Lorenza Jordan-Cole.
 More New Orleans musicians arrive.

The Explosion of Jazz

 1921: Angel City Brass Band and Wilson Orchestra perform on a boat excursion.
 Black and Tan Club band played at Rosehill Park Picnic.
 Bands of era: Sunshine Hall Band, Southern Syncopators and Blanchard Hall.
 1922: First Negro New Orleans Jazz recording is produced by Benjamin “Reb” Spikes
 1926: Lincoln Theater opens...”The west coast Apollo Theatre”... Lafayette Players...
  Bill Russell’s Band...movies and stage shows.
 1927: Lionel Hampton organizes his first band.
 1928: A black diva sings with an Italian opera company.
 1928: The Dunbar Hotel opens...Elegance for the stars of color.
 1928: Curtis Mosby founded the Apex Club (later called the Club Alabam).
 1928: H.F. Alexander at Sea Cruise Ship...Freita Shaw is the first soman Director of Music.
 1929: 21st. Street is the musicians’ neighborhood.  Community newspaper...Flash
  Magazine...The California Eagle newspaper is published.
 Social dance bands perform at the Elks auditorium.
 
 

C.  1930s: THE RENAISSANCE CONTINUES

 1930: Choruses and Cnoirs: Emmanuel Hall Chorus sings background music for
motion pictures: “Dixiana” with Bebe Daniels.
 The Great Depression, 1930-1935.
 1930: Night life is growing on Central Avenue.  The affluent and famous come to
  listen.  Social dance bands of the era are part of the culture.
 The early 1930s: The Apex name is changed to the Club Alabam.
 The 1930s: WPA Choruses are organized when President Roosevelt established the
Works Progress Administration through the arts.  (Church choirs  transferred to WPA choruses,
singers included)...Hollywood Bowl all black    choirs...mostly spiritual concerts, scored for
Max Steiner Movies and Dimitri Tiomkin...singers included Naomi Pharr...Emma Smith...Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boston.
 1931: William Grant Still moves to Los Angeles.  Receives Guggenheim Fellowship    to compose operas.
 1933: The Hollywood Scene: emergence of Talkies...The use of black musical talent
  in motion pictures (unseen) choral groups...composers/arrangers...
  songwriters, the music publisher...Etude Ethiopian Chorus...quartets and
  trios...instrumentalists...pianists...bands.
 1933: The black church continues to be a cultural center with many functions: political and cultural
center, center for leadership and the arts.  Music of the    church...anthems, spirituals, gospel (churches supporting
Chicago migrants   bringing more gospel)...masters of the keyboard...choral directors     ...Independent Church.
Great musicians: Lois Hodnott...Naomi Pharr...Carl    Handley...Robert V. Edwards.
 Pianists...organists...vocalists...instrumentalists..the black accompanist & creativity
  Violinist (Pasadena): Henry Delaney Earl.
 1935: William Grant Still conducts his Afro-American Symphony at the Hollywood
  Bowl.  He was the first of his race to conduct the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
 1935: Alton Redd is the very first of his race to sign a recording contract with Capitol  Records.
 1935: Fletcher Henderso, Count Basie and Benny Carter are laying the foundation for the Swing Era.
 1936: Alma Hightower conducts a community music school for the Performing Arts
 The first black secondary schools’ music teacher is Sam Browne...success against
  all odds...stooped to conquer...famous guest artists...private engagements.
 

THE EXPLOSION OF TALENT AND OUTBURST OF MUSICAL ACTIVITY:
A CULTURAL PHENOMENON TAKES PLACE

 Sunday Soireés/Salons: Madame Sinclair White Murdock.
 Organizations developed to foster the arts: Script and Score Club and others.
 Trained concert artists of acclaim...performing groups.
 Employment opportunities for black musicians behind the scenes.
 Negro chorus sings with Metropolitan opera stars.  Freita Shaw is the director.
 1937: Master teachers of the era include Hightower, Gray, Dones, Bartlett & Wilkins.
 1938: The Swing Era is ushered in.
 
 

D.  STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

  1940s: The development of the war industry: migrants arrive from Louisiana, Texas,
  Oklahoma mostly...gospel singers.  Gospel music is imported.
 1941: Duke Ellington’s review Jump for Joy is presented at the Mayan Theater:
  providing employment for black musicians.
 Interracial choirs are gaining in popularity.
 The Great Migration...World War II and the transformation; nightlife on Central Avenue continues.
 Los Angeles is a center for the record industry: It is part of the rise of entertainment.
 Billy Berg’s 331 Club, Ciros, Trocadero and others hire musicians of color.  Whites
  patronize white clubs to hear African American jazz musicians.
Fewer whites are coming into Central Avenue Clubs.
 Employment opportunities are diminishing for black and white musicians, music
  teachers.  Unemployment is on the increase.  Lip syncing of whites and whites performing
on dummy pianos while musicians of color sing behind the scenes.
 The Negro USO during World War II: Tiny Brantley and Freita Shaw are leaders.
 1941: Lionel Hampton organized his big band with Marshall Royal.
 1942: The Plantation Club opens on 108th and Central.
 Black recording companies are making records...Excelsior Record Company is first.
 Little Tokyo - Shep’s Playhouse is opened in Bronzeville when Japanese were     interred.
 Musicians strike to protest the juke box industry.
 People’s Independent Church becomes the popular church of culture and the arts.
 1943: The black immigration reaches its peak.  The gospel movement expands.
 Late 1943: Art Tatum performs at the Swanee Inn.
 Social dance bands continue to perform at the Elks for social events.
 1943: Zoot suit riots take place.  Club owners fear racial riots.
Some reverted to use of Whites only performers in clubs.
 1943: Echoes of Eden: St. Paul Baptist Church Choir broadcast on KFWB radio while
  thousands of blacks and whites are lined up in hopes of a seat.
 1945: After the war, those of color are first to be laid off and those who are left have to
  accept lower wages.  The swing era is ending and rhythm ‘n’ blues becomes
  the popular music of the era.  “Rhythm ‘n’ Blues” becomes the code name for
  black music. The Negro Musicians’ Union #767 celebrates Silver Anniversary
  The Big Band Era is over.
 1947: The Plantation Club closes.  The Barrelhouse Club opens in Watts.
 1948: Buddy Collette forms first integrated Symphony Orchestra.  The Supreme
  Court rules that housing segregation is illegal.
 1949: Another black recording company, Imperial Records, is formed.
Plantation Club reopens briefly.
 

The Early 1950s

 Another black newspaper is published: The Los Angeles Tribune.
 1950: All black music is given the code name, R & B.
This code name remained on radio broadcasts.
 1953: Central Avenue community residents are moving west in large numbers
beyond former “blacks only” neighborhoods and integrating
previously “all  white” neighborhoods on the west side.
The black Musicians’ Union Local  767 merges with the white Musicians’ Union Local 47.
 The mid-1950s exhibited the beginning of a decline in the Central Avenue Ghetto.
  World-acclaimed artists from the Southern California black community are
  gaining fame and are Ambassadors of Music.
 1955: Covered versions of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues (R & B) are being
played and performed by whites on radio.
 The move further west continues for the demise of the Central Avenue community.
 

Marl Young recounts the Amalgamation of Musicians' Unions, Locals 767 and 47

Professional Musicians Local 47 Interesting History

Testimony of Buddy Collette & Marl Young

Central Avenue Sounds and The Birth of Bebop, books
       Clora Bryant, Buddy Collette, William Green, Steve
    Isoardi, Jack Kelson, Horace Tapscott, Gerald
     Wilson, and Marl Young, Editors, members of the Central
  Avenue Sounds Editorial Committee
   "Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles"
      Roth Family Foundation Book in American Music
       (A Roth Family Foundation Book in American Music)

BOOK REVIEW by Ted Levanthal
              Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles. Ed. by Clora Bryant and
                            others. Mar. 1998. 502p. index. illus. Univ. of California, $34.95 (0-520-21189-8).DDC: 781.65.

                            Almost every major American city had its Central Avenue. Washington, D.C., had U
                           Street.   Chicago had "Bronzeville."    Just like Central Avenue, the old commercial
                            district running through the Watts neighborhood in the South Central section of Los
                            Angeles, all were thriving cultural centers for black America in mid-century, and all
                            are gone or on the verge of extinction, many burned to the ground or abandoned in
                            the mid-1960s. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Central was home to local jazz clubs
                            that launched the careers of international jazz stars who hailed from L.A.: Buddy
                            Collette, Sonny Criss, Eric Dolphy, Dexter Gordon, Charles Mingus, and many
                            others. It was L.A.'s Harlem, with blacks and whites flocking to see the best local and
                            international jazz musicians. Very few archival records of the neighborhood remain,
                            so the UCLA Oral History Project tracked down surviving musicians from the era
                            and recorded their memories. Unfortunately, too many stars passed before they could
                            be interviewed, but the stories collected here are lively, informative, and entertaining.
                            Both sweet and sad, the interviews describe the formation of black neighborhoods in
                            L.A., the impact of segregation, economic prosperity during the 1940s, and the
                            gradual decline and demise beginning in the 1950s. This is an invaluable history of
                            the formation of L.A., not to mention a first-rate monograph on the history of jazz in
                            America. --Ted Leventhal

(Booklist/February 15, 1998)
 
 
 
 
 

LAMW's 1996 Honorees, composers Jay Livingston, left and Ray Evans, right of "Mona Lisa" fame, rejoice with LAMW's Founder and
Executive Director Margie Evans, as they interact with the joyous students of the Fifty Second Street School Chorus as
Director William Marshall assists them  in paying the honorees tribute during the Press Conference at the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion.   Fifty Second Street School and Reseda High School are the adopted schools of Los Angeles Music Week.

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