By Karon Majeel

It’s the 1930s in America. Legendary Black singers and musicians, like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are welcomed (through the back door) to perform in white nightclubs and hotels before all-white audiences. But Jim Crow is king and their Black fans aren’t permitted inside and, when their performances end, Ellington, Holiday, Cole, and company are directed to the same back door and told to seek accommodations elsewhere. Their genius didn’t alter the color of their skin, and they lived under the same dark clouds of discrimination and hatred as all Black Americans.

But, dark clouds do have silver linings. In Denver, they led straight to the Five Points, the Baxter Hotel and the Rossonian, where Duke, Billie, Nat, Ella, and Louis found lodging and the loving embrace of Denver’s Black community.

“Denver was the last stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit between Kansas City and Los Angeles,” explains Black Denver native John McBride.

The Chitlin’ Circuit was the affectionate term for colored-only venues that showcased Black entertainers, from Baltimore to New York, Detroit to St. Louis, Chicago to Memphis, from Houston to Denver and on to Los Angeles.

Despite being byproducts of racism and segregation, Black nightclubs, hotels and juke joints became Black America’s music conservatories. The jam sessions were as legendary as the entertainers and the music they birthed, truly delivering a unique sound from jazz to the soulful sounds of rhythm and blues.

Turn the clock forward to the 1960s and the America music scene is still ruled by segregation, and Black Denverites are groovin’ to the soulful sounds of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, B.B. King, and Etta James in the Points at Casino Cabaret and K.C.’s Lounge. 

“There was an older Black crowd at these clubs. Folks who had come to Denver from the Delta and who really appreciated the pain and history in jazz and the blues – because they’d lived it,” reminisces McBride.

Pianist Joe Bonner recalls those days, too, first as a young musician sleeping in the Apollo in New York to hear James Brown, then looking for work in Denver. Bonner smiles when he says his hometown of Harlem had become “too noisy,” so he traveled west and stopped in Denver. 

“I played for Mr. Pierre over on 22nd and Downing for 10 months straight – it was a beautiful gig,” he says.

But Bonner also remembers how difficult it was for Black club owners in those days. 

“Most of the time we worked for mobsters, they were often the only ones who could afford the liquor licenses. Most Black owners just couldn’t stay open long enough to clear their overhead,” he explains.

Fast-forward to the 1980s and Jim Crow’s back is broken, but as white music venues integrated, the Chitlin’ Circuit and Black venues became obsolete. Now the silver lining led to Red Rocks Amphitheater and Basin’s Up in Larimer Square, where local R&B/funk bands like Hot Lunch and Freddie Henchi played to diverse audiences.

Yvonne Brown of the Brown-Miller Project was the first Black female vocalist to perform with Hot Lunch.

“The Denver club scene was really good for live music – funk and dance bands – in the 80s,” recalls Brown. “You could work full-time as a musician and really make good money.”

Brown also worked with former local favorites Bobby Wells, Joe Clemmons and After Six. She and Clemmons were both “PKs” – preacher’s kids, and grew up singing in their fathers’ churches. Brown also remembers Clemmons’ commitment to preserving a uniquely Black soul sound, and how he and others struggled to cross over to the better-paying white clubs with all-Black bands.

“In those days, some bands deliberately integrated to attract a broader – and whiter – audience,” adds Brown.

But the local club scene changed for all the bands in the 90s. Brown believes the music scene reflected the changing mood in the country.

“Club owners were looking for something different, and switched formats from live music to dance tracks aimed at college crowds,” she says.

Brown, who is currently a full-time student and part-time musician, longs for the big pay days from the 80s.

“Some of the (new) clubs expect veteran performers to lower their fees,” she comments.

Brown also misses the support local bands once enjoyed from local Black radio, which isn’t always forthcoming from the large national broadcast conglomerates.

“The old relationships are gone, everyone stands alone now,” she notes.

On to the new millennium, and bands like Latitude Experience are bringing their new blend of smooth and traditional jazz and neo-Soul to Denver audiences, but still encountering some of the same problems as their predecessors. 

“It’s still tough to get bookings with all-Black bands,” declares Darrick Brown, lead vocalist and the driving force behind Latitude. “And you can quote me on that!”

Brown blames Denver’s small Black population and a need for a cultural renaissance in the Black community.

“We don’t support live roots music, whether it’s blues, jazz, reggae, or Zydeco,” he says. “If you don’t play smooth jazz you don’t get paid, and the younger crowds support hip-hop or rap music.”

“We have to support our own culture,” adds Brown. “And the bands need to focus more on giving something back to the community and to help keep the music alive.”

Brown encourages new bands to stay true to themselves, their passion for music, and to focus on their art. He and Latitude Experience also play extensively outside Denver and Colorado, and appreciate the opportunities provided by Denver’s corporate community for private events.

McBride cites the changing demographics of Denver’s Black community and the consequences of Black acts being siphoned off to white venues.

“When I was growing up, the Five Points was a bohemian and musical community, and Denver had a Black population that understood music, especially good Black music,” says McBride, adding that he hopes the Denver School of the Arts will become an incubator for budding Black musicians.

Then, there’s Skip Reeves. The self-described “Funkologist” and radio show host is committed to bringing Black funk music back to the community. He, too, however laments the lack of community support.

“One of the sad things is that the Black community doesn’t seem to support a lot of our own music,” explains Reeves.

But, Reeves is brewing his own remedy. He’s showcasing Black funk bands at the “First School of Funk” every second and fourth Tuesday at Jazz at Jack’s nightclub, co-owned by Darrick Brown and members of Dotsero jazz band, in the Denver Pavilions. The semimonthly event is in collaboration with KUVO radio, home of Reeves’ “A Funk Above the Rest” funk show from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Saturday on 89.3 FM.

Soul School has been the house band for “The First School of Funk,” but Reeves plans to bring funk bands from the 70s and 80s, like the Gap Band and the Bar-Kays, to the Jazz at Jack’s stage.

Wendell Armour, Soul School’s bass man and co-founder, has been in the music business for more than 20 years and has been with Soul School since its inception almost two years ago.

“We felt the community needed more good R&B; something exclusive and upscale,” explains Armour.

While he doesn’t believe getting bookings is too difficult, he agrees with Yvonne Brown that some venues try to underpay them. Yet, he’s a full-time working musician.

“It’s like any other business. You have to represent yourself well and compete for the best clients,” he says, and adds with a laugh, “you have to let them know you don’t work for food and drinks!”

Armour also prides himself on offering a good product to attract higher fees.

“There’s a Black music scene in Denver,” offers Reeves. “We just need more venues to showcase the talent.”

Darrick Brown agrees, acknowledging the success of his band and others, like Denver’s beloved Hazel Miller and songstress Sheryl Renee, but adds, “There are 50 bands all competing for the same gigs. It’s a tough living.”

Despite the challenges, Brown loves his work and – on occasion – he’s reminded that he’s blessed to be a working musician, just like his grandfather. Hillard Brown was a drummer on the Chitlin Circuit, and performed in the Five Points with jazz legends Billy Eckstein and Sarah Vaughn.

Not long ago, while singing in a jazz nightclub in Paris, France, the younger Brown noticed a gallery of past performers on the wall. There among the great jazz masters of the past were Denver’s own Ellyn Rucker and Billy Tolles.

Smiling, Brown proclaims, “That’s when I remember it’s all about the music, and I do it because it’s my passion, too.”

Editor’s note: On May 31, 2002, President George W. Bush signed a formal proclamation declaring June "Black Music Month" in the United States. The aim of the proclamation was to encourage all Americans to celebrate a "critically important part" of the country's cultural heritage by "highlighting the enduring legacy of African-American musicians, singers, and composers." Black Music Month has since become an annual presidential observance, expected to occur again this year.

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