Brooklyn Music Venues -- 1960's

[jsmith]

I started a thread about the Fox Theater in Brooklyn some time back and it prompted quite a few very interesting posts from artists / fans who had attended shows at the venue.
So I thought I'd try again to gain more info on venues in the area back in the day.

Anyone here remember the 521 Club which was located at 1134 Fulton Street, Brooklyn.
Seems that it operated from the late 50's through to the mid 70's and was owned / run by a number's runner; Eugene Goldston or Golston [[maybe even Gene Goldstein).
The likes of Eb Davis & the SoulGroovers, Lew Kirton, Jerry Lawson [[of the Persuasions), the Shufflers & Paul Osher were all regulars there.
The club had its own house band [[at one time they were Sue recording act; Jimmy Oliver & Soul Twisters).
Recording artists who played / hung out at the club included Millie Jackson, Little Johhny Taylor, The Invitations, The Persuasions, Kenny Hamber & Sterling Harrison.
The club even had its own record label, with a couple of 45's gaining release. These were by Little David [[Smith) and Paul Walters. Jimmy Oliver's Soul Twisters also played on some of their tracks.
Anyone know anything about the club, the label or the acts they signed to record deals ??

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[jsmith]

It seems that Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters were the 521 Club's resident band from 1961 to at least 1966. They were most probably the group referred to as the 521 Club Band on Paul Walters 45.
The band obviously opened up for all the live acts who played the club [[backing the main act up instrumentaly after having started the show on their own). Seems they must have performed a lot of Motown numbers in their shows [[judging by the songs they did covers of on their LP).

5737

[jsmith]

Guess no one on here knows anything at all about the 521 Club in Brooklyn then !!

[tallone]

I do indeed remember the 521 club, right off the corner of Franklin Ave. I lived around the corner on Brevoort Place. I was in my teens during that time so I could not attend the shows, but I do remember seeing some of the shows "live" while standing on the platform of the Franklin Ave Shuttle...lol. Those were the days.

[jsmith]

Thanks for that. So the club isn't totally forgotten about.

[tallone]

Not forgotten at all. You have to remember that there was a hub of activity in that area of Brooklyn "back in the day". Not only did you have the 521 club, but you had a bar/lounge that sat right in the middle of Fulton St, between Franklin and Bedford. You had another bar and lounge that sat on the corner of Spencer and Fulton, between Franklin and Bedford. Then you had that big bar on the corner of Bedford and Fulton. I just can't remember the names of any of them. Not to mention the Riverland Lounge on the corner of Brevoort Place and Bedford, right accross the street from the Brevoort Theater.
Does anyone remember an entertainer by the name of Bobby "Madhouse" Smith? He used to perform from time to time at the 521 and other local venues.
Man, how I miss those days.

[jsmith]

Tallone,
I have been told of a theater in Brooklyn [[a movie house more likely that also put on live shows) called something like the Brevoort Theater.
A show was held there in the early 1960's that starred the Shirelles, Tommy Hunt & Linda Hopkins.
I have been trying to track down the exact name of the venue & details of the shows it hosted. At least now [[thanks to you) I know the name of the place & just about where it was located.
Do you recall any live music shows being staged at the venue ?? CHEERS.

[jsmith]

Seems that the Motown Review played the Brevoort Theater [[Brooklyn) in February 1963.
Anyone know much of anything about this show & if any more Motown packages played the venue.
It was shut down in the late 60's and the building was demolished in the 70's.

5820

[juicefree20]

Re. The Brevoort Theater, here are a couple of vintage shots, exterior & interior...
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[Soul Sister]

In the 1960's I went to the Breevort, Brooklyn Fox, Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn Albee and saw all great acts of the day!
Some of the Bed-Stuy Clubs I remember going to were Brooklyn Baby Grand, the Redwood Lounge, Fulton Bar, the 521 Club, and others long forgooten off Fulton Street between Fanklin & Nostrand, especially Bedford, where I was living on Fulton between Spencer & Bedford.

Soul Sister
*********

[tallone]

You have a great memory, Soul Sister. I remember all of those places and a couple of more, like the Blue Coronet on Fulton Street between Bedford and Nostrand, there was also a club on Fulton Street and I can't remember the name of the street, but it was adjacent to where Macon Street began. The street sat between Macon and Halsey Street.
Now to answer your question, JSmith, that is where they had the show that featured The Shirrels, Tommy Hunt and Linda Hopkins. In fact, I recall that Little Anthony did a week there after he left the Imperials in the early '60's and Baby Washington was there at least twice a year. I just can't remember that street...lol.

[Soul Sister]

Hi tallone, my fellow Bed-Stuy bud!
No, there is a lot I forgot, a lot! I remember when the riots took place, people thought I was crazy to walk around the hood at that time, lol. Soo much going on in the neighborhood. tallone, do you remember the name of the guy or the soul food resturant he owned next to the bar where Black Nationalist Moe hung out, across the street from me & Jackie? He watched everything in the neighborhood. Trying to recall but have a memory blank, I think I forgot lots more than I remember, lol, lol!!

S.S.
***

[Soul Sister]

Brooklyn Theaters that did stage shows ~
Brooklyn Fox [[Home of Murray the K):
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[Soul Sister]

Brooklyn Paramount [[before soul shows in the 1960's it was home for Alan Freed's Shows in the 1950's) ~
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[Soul Sister]

Brevoort Theater ~
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[Soul Sister]

I don't have any pics of the Brooklyn Albee but saw some great shows there too headlined by Otis Redding, with The Manhattans, etc...
Queens had an Albee Theater too that did occasional stage shows.
It was much later that the Beacon in Manhattan put on stage shows on occasion.
Of course, there was always the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Newark, N.J. had the Branford Theater and Adams Theater, later Symphony Hall for stage shows.
Jersey City had the Stanely Theater and the State Theater.
Philadelphia had the Earle Theater & the Uptown Theater for shows. Baltimore the Royal Theater, D.C. the Howard Theater. I do have photo's of those but since this is a Brooklyn Theater thread I won't post them.

S.S.
***

[Soul Sister]

Found a vintage postcard with both the "Brooklyn Albee" & Paramount in it ~
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[jsmith]

It seems that the 521 Club operated from the late 50's through to the late 70's and was owned / run by a number's runner; Eugene Goldston [[or Golston). The likes of Eb Davis & the Soul Groovers, Lew Kirton [[of the Invitations), Jerry Lawson [[of the Persuasions), the Shufflers & Paul Osher were all regulars at the place. Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters were the club's resident band from 1961 to around 1967. They might be the group referred to as the 521 Club Band on Paul Walters 45 but he was still hanging out at the club after they left around 1967, so they might not be.
I'm told that the club had a capacity to host 270-300 people with standing room. Eb Davis & the Soul Groovers were the house band from 1967 through 1978/79. Their main members were Johhny Barnett [[bass and vocals) Glenn Quick [[drums. went off to play with Isaac Hayes) Little Max Thomas [[tenor sax. went off with Wilson Pickett). Charles Williams [[trumpet). Stanley Burrell [[guitar). Jimmy Hayward [[tenor sax). Kim Paluna [[guitar, went with Isaac Hayes) and Hayman Kent [[piano and organ). The artists in those days were often booked into a venue without a band because most of the venues had house bands that supported all the acts appearing there.Eb & the Soul Groovers were well thought of and were booked to back up some artists on tour [[Wilson Picket, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, etc.). When they went off to tour, a replacement band would hold down their duties at the club until they returned.
Recording artists who played / hung out at the club included Millie Jackson, Little Johhny Taylor, The Invitations, The Persuasions, Otis Redding, Big Maybelle [[she loved their chicken meals, B B King, Kenny Hamber & Sterling Harrison.
Lots of the above info came direct from Eb Davis [[who's now a European based blues singer). He tells me that Paul Walters was the MC at the club for quite a few years when they were the house band [[so 1967 onwards). Eb & the Soul Groovers did not do anything with the 521 label themselves because very small labels like 521 had a very hard time trying to compete and usually could not do anything for the artists 45's after they had released them.
But Eb certainly has fond memories of his time as leader of the club's house band.

[jsmith]

It seems that young white harp player [[15 years old) hooked up with guitarist/singer Little Jimmy Mae and was playing professionally in soul revues at clubs like the Baby Grand, The 521 Cub, Seville Lounge and the Nitecap around 1962/63/64. He met Muddy Waters at the Apollo around 1965 and was hired to join Muddy's band in 67. He then went off to live in Chicago to be near Muddy.
Were the Seville Lounge and the Nitecap located in Brooklyn ??

[jsmith]

The Seville Lounge and the Nite Cap were located in Brooklyn.
Here's a piece by white blues harp player Paul Oscher ........

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[Soul Sister]

jsmith,
I remember the Blue Coronet was on Fulton too, onew of the popular jazz venues like the Baby Grand. All the great Jazz Singers & Musicians played there. In fact, Miles got shot up in a drive by out front. I went there once with Charles Moses who spoke on the street corners with Sonny Carson.

I don't recall the Seville Lounge or Nite Cap, may be tallone recalls?

S.S.
***

[jsmith]

Soul Sister, maybe the Seville & Nite Cap were located in another part of the borough [[away from Fulton).
Though Fulton does seem to have been the epicentre of the local black entertainment scene back in the 60's.

[Soul Sister]

Could be jsmith, or before or after my time which was on & off 1967-1969 around Fulton & Bedford. I was more going to the big shows not so much the clubs but did too on occasion.
Fulton from Franklin to Nostrand was my territory and where all the happenings seem to be.
tallone grew up in the neighborhood [[he may know), though a little younger he went to school with my girlfriend who's mother owned the building on Fulton between Spencer & Bedford, downstairs was a shoe repair shop, upstairs were two floors, or two seperate apartments, my girlfriend who was crazy about Jackie Wilson so much so she called herself Jackie, lol, we shared the music interests and the apartment on the top floor of her mother's house. We met on a trip to James Brown's house and became fast friends, of course! LOL!!

S.S.
***

[Msmith]

I started a thread about the Fox Theater in Brooklyn some time back and it prompted quite a few very interesting posts from artists / fans who had attended shows at the venue.
So I thought I'd try again to gain more info on venues in the area back in the day.

Anyone here remember the 521 Club which was located at 1134 Fulton Street, Brooklyn.
Seems that it operated from the late 50's through to the mid 70's and was owned / run by a number's runner; Eugene Goldston or Golston [[maybe even Gene Goldstein).
The likes of Eb Davis & the SoulGroovers, Lew Kirton, Jerry Lawson [[of the Persuasions), the Shufflers & Paul Osher were all regulars there.
The club had its own house band [[at one time they were Sue recording act; Jimmy Oliver & Soul Twisters).
Recording artists who played / hung out at the club included Millie Jackson, Little Johhny Taylor, The Invitations, The Persuasions, Kenny Hamber & Sterling Harrison.
The club even had its own record label, with a couple of 45's gaining release. These were by Little David [[Smith) and Paul Walters. Jimmy Oliver's Soul Twisters also played on some of their tracks.
Anyone know anything about the club, the label or the acts they signed to record deals ??

5734
I I know this is an old thread. Little David is my dad I provided information to sir shambling if anyone is interested

[verajay]

Folks seem to forget the Brooklyn Apollo.on Fulton and Throop. My mom took my sis and me to see Gene Chandler,Barbara mason the royalettes. James Brown was there too. The Redwood lounge was in Fulton and Bedford. Queenies bar on Fulton and Brooklyn ave, leopard lounge in Fulton and kingston! Then you had malco,Melrose and also Al s bar! Then club Baby Grand on Fulton between nostrand and Bedford!

[Msmith]

Hello Jsmith. Little David that performed at the 521 in Brooklyn NY is my Dad. I can give you a lot of correct information if you would like. My dad passed away but my mom and my dad's sister are still living.

[Marin]

Reading this thread about 1960's Bed Stuy Brooklyn is amazing! I am looking for some exterior photographs of these clubs for a small documentary I'm working on. Particularly Club Baby Grand on Nostrand and Fulton, Happy Landing on Gates and The Classic Lounge on Broadway. Even the 521 Club. Anyone here have any leads on any of these? I tried old tax photos and library - so far no luck. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[marv2]

This is interesting. Just in the last hour I was looking for a website for old New York City nightclubs.