Barbara Hendel: Reflecting on Toledo's impressive history of producing, preserving jazz

Feb. 28—TOLEDO is well noted as a big place for jazz, which originated in the African-American community of New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and became noted worldwide. Its lively rhythms and melodies, often made up by musicians as they play, are in blues, ragtime, spirituals, folk, and more.

In honor of Black History Month, jazz, without a doubt, needs to be included. I'm honored to have known many of these jazz icons.

Jazz places flourished in Toledo and at hotels including the Park Lane Hotel, the Secor Hotel, the Hillcrest Hotel, and the Commodore Perry Hotel. But it is Rusty's Jazz Cafe, Murphy's Place, Ragtime Rick's, the Waiters and Bellman's Club, and the Aku-Aku Club that are the notable places — now all gone.

While the jazz clubs are of the past, the Toledo Jazz Society still exists. Jeff Jaffe's dad, Harold Jaffe, was one of the founders on Feb. 14, 1980, to present the Toledo Jazz Orchestra to the public to preserve, protect, and present America's art form. They presented the Toledo Jazz Festival, which morphed into the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Festival, the last one in 2008 due to the Great Recession.

Phenomenal jazz artists like Al Jarreau, George Benson, Clark Terry, Ramsey Lewis, Nancy Wilson, and many more graced the Toledo stages along with local jazz talents. The Jazz Society was one of the first organizations to present then 17-year-old Troy Andrews (aka Trombone Shorty), who has become the "Jazz Ambassador" for the City of New Orleans and a legend internationally. In 2008, the name was changed to the Art Tatum Society to perpetuate the name and legacy of one of the greatest of all time. The society planned to make a re-emergence last year, but that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. "Stay tuned for news in the future!" said Mr. Jaffe.

Here in Toledo, African-American jazz musicians, some still living, all go down in history. Here are a few of the famous:

—Art Tatum (deceased): noted for his speedy and unique melodic and harmonic variations.

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—Jon Hendricks (deceased): famous for vocalese, spoken words set to jazz tunes.

—Claude Black (deceased): At the age 16, he had performed with Billie Holiday and eventually became the musical director for budding vocalist Aretha Franklin, said Doug Swiatecki, publisher of the Toledo Jazz Newsletter. Black frequently performed at America's oldest jazz club, Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit.

—Clifford Murphy (deceased): bassist, was a longtime Toledo jazz icon, and jazz club owner, The Murphy's, where his friend, Black, performed.

—Stanley Cowell (deceased): an early jazz artist in Toledo.

—Tony Ben (deceased): a jazz percussionist who didn't allow his failing eyesight to interfere with his performance career.

—Floyd "Candy" Johnson (deceased): an African-American jazz saxophonist.

—Leon Cook (deceased): played at Rusty's regularly; his son Damen Cook still plays jazz.

—Ike Stubblefield, who lived in Toledo, has played with superstars including George Benson, Eric Clapton, Boz Scaggs, Marvin Gaye, and B.B. King. He still comes back home to visit.

—Jean Holden-Hanna, former club owner, entertainer, and vocalist, remains a favorite. Her daughter, Lisa, piano, often accompanies her.

—Ramona Collins, who got the jazz bug from her mother, Alice, is another popular performer who entertains audiences with her sultry voice.

The new generation:

—Bailey Waldon, an eighth grader at TSA, is an up and comer who is a Songs For Our Sister scholarship winner studying with Ramona Collins and Ellie Martin, who did doctoral work on Jon Hendricks. Bailey is in a master class with Sy Smith, a critically acclaimed American soul singer, songwriter, and producer who has written for Santana and sang backup for Whitney Houston.

While this is a tribute to Black jazz artists, white guys are also prevalent: Scott Potter, Jim Gottron, Gene Parker, Jimmy Cook (deceased), Steve Kunerick, Hershey Cohn (deceased), Jason Quick, Josh Silver, Cass Harris (deceased) Ray Heitger (leader of Cake Walkin' Jass Band), Dave Kosmyna, Jeff Zavac, Larry Fuller (from Toledo), Bob Hanley, and more. Jerry Sawicki (deceased), sax, jammed with the Murphys at Rusty's and other places including jam sessions at his home, which had a nightclub on the top floor. Keith Bernard hosts jams on the second Sunday of the month — well, when the pandemic is behind us.

"Jazz is colorblind," said Ragtime Rick. Talent is the factor, not the skin color when it comes to jazz greats. Ragtime Rick Grafing and the Chefs of Dixieland perform live on Wednesday nights at Maumee Bay Brewing Company's Event Center. It is also on YouTube and people from all over the world tune in, said Rick. Go to Ragtimerick.com. On Thursday nights the Event Center hosts the Organic Ingredients jazz group.

Jazz clubs are closed, and the Jazz Society is on pandemic hiatus, but one can enjoy jazz on several Toledo radio stations:

—The Jazz Spectrum hosted by Fritz Byers on WGTE, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturdays.

—WXTS Jazz 88.3-FM 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday or 24/7 streaming at wxts.org.

—H-Factor Jazz Show hosted by Hugh Ross, Jr., on the University of Toledo student radio station, 88.3-FM.

—Mark Zaborney's Jazz Unlimited 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays on WBGU-FM 88.1.