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jazz music. its what we do.

There is no other place in the world like Buffalo's Colored Musicians Club 

 

The club offers live jazz in an intimate setting, and some of the best jazz you can find anywhere. It is open to non-members who want to share a love of jazz, and are seeking a relaxing time in a friendly place.

If you are a musician, young or old, you can come in for our Sunday night "Jam Sessions" or join a group. If you are learning to play, we are your first networking stop to meet up with recognized touring artists. Making these connections present the richest of learning opportunities for a music rooted in this unique "each one, teach one" genre that we call JAZZ.

If you don't play, but you love jazz, you can just have a drink and listen in the company of other people who share your love for the music. It's all about the music.

No matter your interest, we thrive and survive on your member support. Become a member today, and be "in the know."

The Colored Musicians Club 

By Rachel Bernstein


Introduction

The Buffalo Colored Musicians Club at 145 Broadway is as endearing a place as it is historically significant. Upon entering the club you are met by an overwhelming presence which resonates from the club’s rich history. The club is like a home away from home for many Buffalo residents who are long time members. For them, the club holds memories of times past when it was nothing for jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald to be passing through. Sometimes members would even be picked up by a band on tour, travel down South on the "chitlen’ circuit", and come home with crazy stories of life on the road. In addition to inspirational run-ins with the famous and elite, the club fostered an environment where people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds could come together over a mutual love of the American phenomenon called jazz. Besides the bonds of friendship made between members of the club, involvement in the jazz movement has provided strength and hope to Buffalo’s African American community since its formation. The Colored Musicians Club embodies these positive forces and provides a place which allows dreams to take shape into reality.