NIGHTLIFE IN THE HILL DISTRICT

 

The Crawford Grill Jazz Clubs (CG no1 CG no2) was the most celebrated venues among a diverse collection of theaters, bars, and social clubs located on the Hill District's main thoroughfares.

 

The first Crawford Grill was located at 1401 Wylie Avenue in the Lower Hill District and operated from 1932 to 1951 by Gus Greenlee. It was among the first clubs in the Hill District to receive a liquor license after prohibition, marking the end of an era of bootlegging alcohol and setting a new standard for the Hill District’s black-owned nightclubs. At a time when most of the drinking spots along Wylie were seen as “holes-in-the-wall,” the Grill offered “something besides swinging doors, stand-up bars, backrooms and free lunch.” Greenlee made a point to hire entertainers from outside of Pittsburgh, particularly New York, which contributed to the club’s popularity and distinctiveness in the Hill District. On the second floor, Greenlee opened the C&G Club to host private parties and stage after-hours floorshows. In 1935, the C&G’s entertainment consisted of a floorshow that included a female dancing quartet, a male tenor, and two entertainers from New York—Jean Daniels and Manhattan Pearl, a female impersonator. Hired to back the show was Jack Spruce and his septet. In 1939, the entertainer Bulee “Slim” Gaillard, known for his hits with the jazz novelty act “Slim and Slam” with bassist Slam Stewart, played the C&G club with his 10-piece “Flat Foot Floogie” orchestra. Gaillard’s group—named after a popular composition of his—mixed dance numbers with physical and musical feats involving Gaillard playing the piano palm up or the guitar with his left hand over the top of the neck. Like Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway, Gaillard gained wide appeal playing comedic “jump blues” style songs though he was also able to improvise lyrics and scat sing in a style of later beboppers.

 

The first Crawford Grill was far more than just a music venue in that it was a focal point of African American social life. Prominent African Americans, such as boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, and bandleader Duke Ellington, were hosted at the Grill, contributing to the club’s mystique. One of the most important collaborations in the jazz world had its roots in the Crawford Grill. As Gus Greenlee’s nephew George asserts, it was at the Crawford Grill that he was able to arrange the 1938 meeting between a young Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington. Ellington was in Pittsburgh performing with his orchestra at the Stanley Theater and George used his visit to the Crawford as an opportunity to introduce Strayhorn knowing that “Duke couldn’t say no with my uncle standing there.” The following day Greenlee and Strayhorn met Ellington at the Stanley Theater where Strayhorn’s impressive piano skills prompted Ellington to request an arrangement to use with his orchestra. The results, performed on the last day of Ellington’s stay in Pittsburgh, impressed him so much that he invited Strayhorn to New York, beginning the historic collaboration.