Friday, February 28, 2014

IN LOCAL HISTORY: LEO GOODEN "BLUE NOTE" CLUB, 4200 MISSOURI AVENUE,EAST ST. LOUIS,ILLINOIS


by Dwight L. Quinn


When I was growing up in East St. Louis, music was every
where, at night live bands was heard coming out of the
doors of almost every lil club or travern on a corner.
And don't let the club be close to a Church were they are
having night service,now you're getting it all. On radio
there's a Live, remote broadcast going a local band is 
jamming and people are having themselves a good time.
There were clubs like this on both sides of the wateri.e
as we would than describe the division of the Mississippi 
River. The Club that was getting popular than in the early
60's was the The Blue Note Club,located at 4200 Missouri
Avenue, in East St. louis,Illinois owned by the late Leo 
Gooden. Leo, as most people, who knew him would address 
him was an important local St. Louis mover-and-shaker 
whose ear for talent helped him assemble one of the best 
bands of its time, assembled initially to be the house 
band at Gooden's Blue Note Club.

A look into the mini-soul empire of Leo Gooden -- an tiny 
little enclave in East St Louis that was making some mighty 
hip music in the early 60s! Gooden wore many hats at the time 
-- politician, club owner, and local businessman -- but he 
also put together his own band and record label L. G. Records. 
He worked in a very hip mix of R&B and early 60s soul jazz modes! 
Through his nightclub, The Blue Note, Gooden came into contact 
with a variety of great musicians, both national and local -- 
and he brought their inspiration to play on sessions recorded here 
for his LG family of labels – he is featured on a handful of 
singles and two rare LPs.

Early 60s East St Louis jazz band. Originaly assembled to be the 
house band at Leo Gooden's Blue Note nightclub. The group, anchored 
by the Hammond B-3 playing of Don James, the dynamic drumming of 
Kenny Rice, and the tenor sax work of Charles "Little Man" Wright, 
pre-shadowed the organ-led jazz combos that appeared later.
Albert King would frequently set in with the Band and was given
the opportunity to play on several Leo Five recordings,"Worrisome 
Baby","Lonesome",and "You Threw Your Love On Me So Strong". Other 
local greats that worked with Leo and his L.G.Record Label was 
Ccharles Drain and Jamie Ross.

Members of Leo's Five:
Charles Wright, Don James, Fred Jackson, Leo Gooden

The 60's bands couldn't have been so widely recognized if it hadn't
been for the newer upcoming Radio personalities,bringing in a new
way of introducing music to the general listening public one of those
pioneering radio personalities of the time in the Greater St. Louis
was Spider Burks one of St. Louis’ first black disc jockeys, and 
he is remembered for giving jazz an urban identity in St. Louis market. 
He had graduated from Hampton Institute and began working at KXLW here 
in 1947. During his stint at that station, which lasted until 1956, 
Spider became a huge moneymaker for the station and himself.
He got the job initially when a radio shop owner on Easton Avenue 
sponsored a half-hour block of time and used Spider as his disc jockey.

Things went so well that the station hired him, and he would sell 
advertising to supplement his income.
He’d bring in his own records, and his two shows, “After School Swing 
Session” and “Down the Alley Behind My House” were huge favorites of the 
high school set. The record companies soon realized Spider Burks’ show 
could really “sell” their product.

Burks also worked as a disc jockey on KSTL, KADY/KADI-FM and KATZ, 
leaving the business in 1969.

St. Louis and East St. Louis histroically been a huge contributor and
weight station for all types of music,especially the sounds of blues,
gospel and jazz.Making St.Louis not only the Gateway to the West,but 
also the one of the Main birth places of the Blues.

Sources:Ace Records,East St. Louis Library Archives,Monitor and 
D.L. Quinn



Monday, February 24, 2014

IN HISTORY: Josephine Baker 1906-1975 Her Activist Side

by Dwight L. Quinn

Josephine Baker supported the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950's while living in France. Mrs. Baker and her husband Jo when they arrived in New York she was refused reservations at 36 hotel because she was Black.She was so taken back by this racist treatment that she began writing articles on the segregation in the United States and held Public talks about this problem. Fisk University in Nashville, Tennesssee the all Black University was were she gave a talk, the subject was,"France, North America and The Equality Of The Races In France".
Mrs. Baker also went as far as to refuse to perform for segregated audiences this
couragous act by Mrs Baker later helped to intergrate shows in places like Las Vegas. She began recieving threats from the Klu Klux Klan after these accident but the threats didn't rattle the nerves of Mrs.Baker.
In 1963, Mrs. Baker spoke at the March on Washington at the side of Martin Luther King,Jr.
Mrs. Baker was the only official female speaker, she wore her Free French uniform
emblazoned with her medal of the Legion d'honneur she introduced the Negro Women for
Civil Rights. She acknowledged Rosa Parks and Daisy Bates who both later gave speeches.
Dr. Kings widow Coretta Scott King approached Mrs. Baker after the assassination of Dr.
King,to ask her if she would take her husband place as leader of the Civil Rights Movement,
but Mrs. Baker declined.
Josephine Baker's reputation as a Civil Right Activist grew to an extent that the NAACP
had Sunday May 20th,1951 declared as Josephine Baker Day. She was presented with life
membership of the NAACP by Nobel Peach Prize winner  Dr. Ralph Bunche. The honor she was
paid caused her to further speak out with the "Save Willie McGee" famous rally in 1948
protesting the beating of the furniture shop  owner in Trenton, New Jersey. As Mrs. Baker
became more and more outspoken  about the injustice against  Black in the United States of
America, some Blacks began to see Mrs. Baker as toublesome or to controversial and began
to avoid her,for fear she may hurt or derail their cause. Josephine Baker lived to see the
pillars of segregation in the United States of American crumble and calaspe under the      
weight of the work of stamping out injustice, in all of its forms,like her and so many
other Black leaders were doing.
Josephine Baker died April 12th,1975 at her home in Paris, France.

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