In the early 1950s, the Hi-Hat, on the corner of Columbus and Mass Ave in the South End, was the focal point of both name-band Black music and modern jazz in Boston. (There’s more here and here.) The club presented all kinds of music besides Diz and Bird, including mainstream swing, doo-wop, R&B, Latin, and pop. I devoted a chapter to the Hi-Hat in The Boston Jazz Chronicles and won’t repeat that history here. My purpose now is to present the schedule for its important years, from 1949 to 1955, when owner Julie Rhodes was booking the very best in modern jazz.

By way of example, the Hi-Hat was the first club in town to present Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, and Sarah Vaughan. But it was more to Boston than a name-band room. Dozens of Boston musicians worked there, including Dean Earl, Rollins Griffith, Bernie Griggs, Clarence Jackson, Sabby Lewis, Charlie Mariano, Nat Pierce, Fat Man Robinson, Hillary Rose, Jimmy Tyler, Al Vega, and many more. Symphony Sid set up shop here and broadcast live nightly over WCOP from “the Jazz Corner of Boston.”

The Hi-Hat shed its past as a whites-only dine-and-dance place in the summer of 1948, when it opened its doors to all and booked its first jazz trio. That was pianist Nat Pierce’s trio—he lived two doors down from the club on Mass Ave—and it usually included drummer Joe MacDonald and a horn player. The Sabby Lewis Orchestra, Boston’s most popular band, opened in September and played through the fall and early winter. Then we start the schedule shown here.

Music rocked the Hi-Hat non-stop until a fire closed the club in December 1955. As best I can tell, it remained closed in 1956. In January 1957, the Hi-Hat resumed an on-again, off-again music policy using local musicians. That continued until early 1959, when new owners again began booking name bands. It all ended when the fire of March 10, 1959 closed the club for good.

The Fatal Four-Alarm Fire

Boston Herald readers awoke to see an EXTRA! at the top of page 1, and the news was bad. “A stubborn four-alarm fire swept the Hi-Hat Cafe at 576 Columbus Ave., South End, at 3:00. The four story brick structure was in flames from cellar to garret, although firefighters had been battling the smoky blaze for a half hour when the fourth alarm was sounded.”

The afternoon Traveler told the whole depressing story. A thousand residents fled nearby buildings in sub-freezing temperatures while the fire burned out of control for two hours. Ice, snow, and thick smoke combined to produce a dense smog, making firefighting all the more difficult. The building was a total loss, and the rooming house behind it rendered uninhabitable. Streets were blocked for hours. What remained standing was pulled down days later as a safety precaution. The Hi-Hat was history.

The Harriet Tubman House, a community center with a long history of service in the South End, was built on the Hi-Hat site. Some years after its construction, artists painted murals on the exterior walls picturing the corner’s history. Sadly, these were lost when developers demolished Tubman House in 2020 to make way for condos.

Notes on the Schedule

This listing is not quite complete. It was common during these years for clubs to cut back on their operations during July and August, or simply close for the season. The Hi-Hat was a popular restaurant as well as a nightclub, so it stayed open, but it used local bands, often without advertising. I have not yet compiled the schedules for the summer months.

I gathered information from multiple sources, but mainly from the club’s weekly advertisements in the Boston Daily Record, and the entertainment columnists writing in the same paper. The “On the Scene” column written by Vin Haynes (Roy’s brother) in the Boston Chronicle, and the writings of Down Beat’s Boston correspondents, were also helpful. Neither of those Boston papers are available online.

Finally, the disclaimer…I cannot guarantee that this information is 100 percent accurate, and all errors are mine. If you spot something you believe is wrong, let me know. I will update this post as necessary. I welcome comments and questions.

You can view these tables on a phone, but I recommend something with a bigger screen.

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1949

Date	Groups Working
Jan-mid Apr	Sabby Lewis Orchestra, also Clarence Jackson's Four Notes of Rhythm, also Johnny White intermission piano. Sunday jam sessions and a Tuesday "Boppers Night" session that featured such as Joe Gordon, Dick Nash, Charlie Mariano, Baggy Grant, Paul Vignoli, and Gait Preddy.
Apr 11-17	Last week! Sabby Lewis off to New York's Royal Roost. Also Herb Scott Quintet, Clarence Jackson.
Apr 18-May 1	Former Lionel Hampton vocalist Wini Brown singing with Clarence Jackson's house band; also Herb Scott.
May 2-6	Wini Brown and Clarence Jackson; also tenor saxophonist Art Foxall Quintet.
May 6-15	Rudy Williams, Wini Brown, Clarence Jackson
May 16-20	Sabby Lewis, returned to Boston when Royal Roost closed; also Clarence Jackson.
May 21-Jun 12	Sabby Lewis; also saxophonist Pete Brown with Charlie Cox Trio
Jun 13-26	Milt Buckner; also Pete Brown with Charlie Cox Trio
July-Aug	Art Foxall for the summer, guitarist Frankie Rue's Trio the relief band, Ray Grismer running the Sunday sessions.
Aug 30-Sep 18	Milt Buckner; Frankie Rue Trio. Sunday session Sep 11 featured trombonist Dick LeFave (ex Artie Shaw's Rangers, Benny Goodman).
Sep 19-27	Eddie Heywood; also Phil Edmunds Orch
Sep 28-Oct 23	Sabby Lewis Orchestra. Sunday session Oct 15 with trombonists Dick LeFave and Sonny Truitt (who might have played piano) and saxophonist George Perry.
Oct 24-Nov 6	Slam Stewart Trio; also Frankie Rue Trio
Nov 7-27	Sabby Lewis; also Frankie Rue Trio
Nov 28-Dec 1	Unknown
Dec 2-15	Earl Bostic
Dec 16-31	Buddy DeFranco; band as listed in DB 12/2/49 included Teddy Charles vibes, Harvey Leonard piano, Perry Lopez guitar, Teddy Kotick bass, and Frank DeVito drums. DeFranco, winner of the Down Beat readers poll as top clarinetist, presented his award at the Hi-Hat by Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler on Dec 29. For New Year's Eve, Jimmy Tyler's new band added to program.

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1950

Date	Groups Working
Jan 2-Apr 9	Jimmy Tyler Orchestra. Personnel drawn mostly from the Sabby Lewis band after a contentious breakup. Along with Tyler on alto and tenor, included saxophonists Dan Turner (later on Basie band) and Bill Dorsey, trumpeters Gene Caines and Cat Anderson (not known how long he stayed), trombonist Maceo Bryant, pianists Jimmie Martin then Jaki Byard, bassist/vocalist Al Morgan, drummer Joe Booker. Photo of this band page 160 Boston Jazz Chronicles.
Feb 2-8	Eddie Heywood; also Jimmy Tyler
Feb 9-18	Jimmy Tyler; also Clarence Jackson's Notes of Rhythm
Feb 19-Mar 5	Jimmy Tyler; also Serge Chaloff's Woody Herman All-Stars
Mar 6-12	Jimmy Tyler; headliner unknown
Mar 13-19	Thelonious Monk with local group including trumpeter Joe Gordon; may have stayed an additional week. Possibly also Jimmy Tyler.
Mar 20-Apr 2	No adverts; Jimmy Tyler likely
Apr 3-9	Howard McGhee; also Jimmy Tyler
Apr 10-23	Count Basie Sextet (DeFranco, Thad Jones, Wardell Gray, Jimmy Lewis, Connie Kay), Serge Chaloff sitting in; also Serge Chaloff's group with Truitt and MacDonald.
Apr 24-May 7	Georgie Auld with Joe Gordon, intermission pianist Al Vega, bassist Sonny Dee, unknown drummer.
May 8-17	Jimmie Lunceford All Stars under the direction of Joe Thomas.
May 18-25	Festival of American Jazz All-Stars with Rex Stewart, Joe Sullivan, Edmond Hall, Benny Morton, Big Sid Catlett.
May 26-Jun 8	,Lester Young with Jesse Drake trumpet, Kenny Drew piano, Joe Shulman bass, Connie Kay drums.
Jun 9-16	Adrian Rollini Trio; also Johnny Chase trio
Jun 17-22	Eddie Heywood; also Adrian Rollini
Jun 23-29	Serge Chaloff All-Stars
July-August	Incomplete
Sep 1-7	Hi-Hat All Stars: Dick LeFave trombone, Ernie Perry saxophones, Trudy Jones piano, Joe Booker drums, Ray Scott bass.
Sep 8-Oct 10	Fat Man Robinson Quintet
Oct 12-18	First Boston appearance of Erroll Garner Trio
Oct 19-Nov 1	Count Basie with Wardell Gray and Buddy DeFranco
Nov 2-15	Benny Carter; also Al Vega's trio; ads called him "Boston's Mr. Piano."
Nov 16-29	Art Tatum; also Phil Edmunds Orch
Nov 30-Dec 10	Red Norvo probably with Tal Farlow and Charles Mingus; also Vi Burnside and her Sweethearts of Rhythm.
Dec 11-24	Snub Mosley Orchestra; also Joe Sullivan
Dec 25-31	Sabby Lewis; probable lineup with Lewis on piano had Danny Potter, Elwyn Fraser and George Perry saxophones; Lennie Johnson and Hiawatha Lockhart trumpets; Champ Jones bass and Alan Dawson drums.

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1951

Date	Groups Working
Jan 1-14	Cootie Williams Orchestra
Jan 15-21	Hal Singer; also Serge Chaloff with trumpeter Leon Merian and pianist Danny White
Jan 22-28	Buddy Rich featuring Zoot Sims and Harry Edison; also Serge Chaloff's group.
Jan 29-Feb 4	Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown; also Serge Chaloff
Feb 5-11	Dizzy Gillespie; also Serge Chaloff Trio with Nat Pierce and Leon Merian
Feb 12-18	Probably Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt; also Serge Chaloff
Feb 19-25	Probably Arnett Cobb; also Serge Chaloff
Feb 26-Mar 10	Bill Davis; also Fat Man Robinson and Serge Chaloff
Mar 11-17	Erroll Garner; also Fat Man Robinson
Mar 19-25	Sabby Lewis
Mar 26-Apr 1	Stan Getz; also Al Vega
Apr 2-8	Billie Holiday, backed by a local group that included Al Vega and tenor saxophonist Ted Goddard. Buddy Rich, originally scheduled, cancelled to tour with Josephine Baker.
Apr 9-14	Oscar Pettiford with Howard McGee and Joe Roland; also Al Vega Trio
Apr 15-22	Count Basie with Marshall Royal and Wardell Gray
Apr 23-May 20	Jimmy Tyler; also Al Vega Trio
May 21-27	Terry Gibbs Sextet with Brew Moore and Red Rodney
May 28-Jun 3	Charlie Parker with Kenny Dorham
Jun 4-17	Saxophonist Art Foxall
Jun 18-	Sabby Lewis with Joe Gordon
July	Incomplete
August	Dick LeFave's house band
Sep	Al Vega begins third year as intermission pianist and sometimes accompanist and leader of the house trio
Sep 1-6	Fat Man Robinson Quintet
Sep 7-28	Vocalist Pat Rainey; also Fat Man Robinson Quintet; also Al Vega. Vega's trio likely accompanied Ms Rainey.
Sep 29-Oct 5	Al Hibbler with Fat Man Robinson Quintet
Oct 9-15	Tommy Edwards singing "It's All in the Game"
Oct 16-22	Slim Gaillard
Oct 23-Nov 5	Herbie Fields; also Hillary Rose Trio
Nov 19-27	Stuff Smith
Nov 28-Dec 4	Roy Eldridge
Dec 5-Jan 5 1952	Slim Gaillard all month; also Fat Man Robinson featuring J.C. Higginbotham; also Trudy Jones Trio

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1952

Date	Groups Working
Jan 6-15	Standup pianist Eugene Smith; also Fat Man Robinson with J.C. Higginbotham
Jan 16-22	Maxine Sullivan
Jan 23-27	Illinois Jacquet
Jan 28-Feb 3	Dizzy Gillespie
Feb 4-20	Slim Gaillard; also Skippy Williams
Feb 21-Mar 2	Illinois Jacquet
Mar 3-9	Charlie Parker with Kenny Dorham, Walter Bishop, Franklin Skeete, Roy Haynes
Mar 10-16	Coleman Hawkins; also Eddie Heywood Trio
Mar 17-23	Ruth Brown
Mar 24-30	Ray McKinley All Stars featuring Lee Castle
Mar 31-Apr 6	Arnett Cobb; also Al Vega Trio
Apr 7-20	Earl Bostic
Apr 21-27	Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown and Irving Ashby
Apr 28-May 4	Stan Getz with Al Haig, Tiny Kahn, Jimmy Raney, Charles Mingus; also Al Vega Trio
May 5-11	Dizzy Gillespie with Joe Carroll, Wynton Kelly, Bill Graham, Al Jones, Bernie Griggs
May 12-18	Jazz Unlimited show with Symphony Sid as emcee, band was Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, Phil Urso, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke.
May 19-25	Arnett Cobb; also Al Vega Trio with Frank Gallagher and Jimmy Zitano
May 26-Jun 1	Teddy Wilson
Jun 2-7	Red Allen with Sonny Greer, Kenny Kersey, Lloyd Trotman, Irving Skinny Brown
Jun 8-14	Ivory Joe Hunter
Jun 15-21	Al Vega Trio; headliner unknown
Jun 22-	Trumpeter Phil Edmunds
July-August	Juan Gonzalez Afro-Mambo Band, Chico and His Rhumba Band, no idea who these Bostonians were. Al Vega, Frank Gallagher, Jimmy Zitano the house trio
Sep 1-17	Creole Stardusters; trumpeter Hiawatha Lockhart leads house band with pianist Rollins Griffith, bassist Bernie Griggs, drummer Al Johnson
Sep 18-28	Slim Gaillard
Sep 29-Oct 5	Cecil Young
Oct 6-12	Ruth Brown and Milt Buckner
Oct 13-19	The Orioles
Oct 20-26	Stan Getz with Jim Raney, Roy Haynes, Bill Crow, Jerry Kaminsky
Oct 27-Nov 9	Dizzy Gillespie with Joe Carroll. Gillespie originally scheduled for one week but came a week early when the Bill Harris-Chubby Jackson group cancelled.
Nov 10-16	The Ravens
Nov 17-27	Tiny Bradshaw; also trumpeter Herbie Lee
Nov 28-Dec 7	Illinois Jacquet
Dec 8-14	Charlie Parker with Joe Gordon, Dick Twardzik, Bill Wellington, Charles Mingus, Roy Haynes. Set on the 14th on Uptown UPCD 27.42.
Dec 15-21	Cecil Young
Dec 22-Jan 4 1953	Slim Gaillard and Milt Buckner Trio with Bernie Mackie, Sticks Evans; also Herbie Lee

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1953

Date	Groups Working
Jan 5-11	Stan Getz
Jan 12-18	Arnett Cobb
Jan 19-25	Coleman Hawkins with Roy Eldridge
Jan 26-Feb 1	Alan Eager with Dick Twardzik, Bernie Griggs, Gene Glennon; the Feb 1 broadcast eventually released on Uptown 27.49. Lester Young was scheduled but cancelled.
Feb 2-8	Johnny Hodges; also Sonny Stitt possibly with Horace Silver
Feb 9-15	Ink Spots; also Al Vega Trio
Feb 16-22	James Moody
Feb 23-Mar 1	Bill Harris-Chubby Jackson
Mar 2-8	Buddy DeFranco
Mar 9-15	Stan Getz
Mar 16-22	Earl Hines with Jonah Jones and Benny Green
Mar 23-29	Joe Loco and His Afro-Cubops
Mar 30-Apr 5	Babs Gonzalez
Apr 6-12	Slim Gaillard
Apr 13-19	Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown and Barney Kessel
Apr 24-May 3	Illinois Jacquet
May 4-17	Erroll Garner. Saxophonist Jay Tolbert leads house band with Trudy Jones piano, Herbie Williams trumpet, Milt Jones bass, Joe Riddick drums. Only Williams would be back in the fall.
May 18-24	Billie Holiday
May 25-31	Flip Phillips Trio with Horace Silver and J.C. Heard
Jun 1-7	Sarah Vaughan; also Lawrence Hinkson Trio
June 8-14	Charlie Parker with Herb Pomeroy trumpet, Dean Earl piano, Bernie Griggs bass, Bill Grant drums
June 15-21	Ruth Brown
July-August	Incomplete
Sep 11-20	Illinois Jacquet
Sep 21-27	Johnny Hodges; also Al Hibbler
Sep 28-Oct 4	Artie Shaw Gramercy Five with Tal Farlow, Hank Jones, Joe Roland, Tommy Potter, Denzil Best
Oct 5-11	Slim Gaillard; also Dean Earl Trio with Bernie Griggs, Marquis Foster
Oct 12-18	Earl Bostic
Oct 19-25	Nellie Lutcher; also Charlie Mariano Quartet with Herb Pomeroy, Bernie Griggs, Peter Littman
Oct 26-Nov 1	Charlie Barnet
Nov 2-8	James Moody
Nov 9-15	Charlie Ventura with Jackie and Roy
Nov 16-22	Dinah Washington with Herbie Williams band
Nov 25-Dec 6	Sarah Vaughan with Herbie Williams band
Nov 29	Symphony Sid celebrates one year of broadcasting from the club.
Dec 7-13	Wynonie Harris and Varetta Dillard
Dec 14-20	Arnett Cobb and Little Esther
Dec 21-Jan 3 1954	Slim Gaillard and Milt Buckner Trio

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1954

Date	Groups Working
Jan 4-10	Louie Bellson; also Don Elliott
Jan 11-17	Ruth Brown
Jan 18-24	Charlie Parker with Herbie Williams, Jay Migliori, Rollins Griffith, Jimmy Woode, Marquis Foster. Set on Jan 18 included on Uptown UPCD 27.42.
Jan 25-31	Tiny Bradshaw; also Boston doo-woppers the Love Notes
Feb 1-11	Big Jay McNeely; also Sonny Stitt with Dean Earl's Trio. Stitt's Feb 11 set first released on Roost LP 418 and subsequently on CD. Photo of group on page 183 of The Boston Jazz Chronicles.
Feb 12-21	Illinois Jacquet
Feb 22-28	Gene Krupa Trio with Eddie Shu and Marty Napoleon
Mar 1-7	Billie Holiday
Mar 8-14	Dizzy Gillespie
Mar 15-21	Billy Ward and the Dominos featuring Jackie Wilson
Mar 22-28	Woody Herman Orchestra
Mar 29-Apr 4	Louis Jordan
Apr 5-11	Oscar Peterson with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown; also Flip Phillips with Jo Jones.
Apr 12-18	King Pleasure with Herbie Williams band; also Carmen McRae. Intermission pianist Mabel Simms may have accompanied McRae.
Apr 19-25	King Pleasure held over; also Art Blakey possibly with Joe Gordon
Apr 26-May 2	Oscar Peterson Trio
May 7-16	Erroll Garner
May 17-23	Ella Fitzgerald, trio is John Lewis, Jimmy Woode, Shadow Wilson
May 24-30	Slim Gaillard
May 31-Jun 6	Comedian and singer Timmie Rogers..."Oh yeah!"
June	Jay Migliori leading the house band
July-August	Incomplete
Sep 10-19	Earl Bostic
Sep 20-26	Billy Ward and the Dominos
Sep 27-Oct 3	Slim Gaillard
Oct 4-10	Tito Puente
Oct 11-17	Roy Hamilton
Oct 18-24	Erroll Garner; also Teddy Charles Trio
Oct 25-Nov 1	Anita O'Day; also Teddy Charles Trio
Nov 2-7	JATP All Stars: Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Bill Harris; also Carmen McRae
Nov 8-14	Illinois Jacquet
Nov 15-21	Gene Krupa Trio with Eddie Shu and Teddy Napoleon
Nov 22-28	Billy Williams Quartet
Nov 29-Dec 5	Wild Bill Davis; also J.C. Higginbotham; also vocalist Margie Anderson with Jimmy Woode Trio
Dec 6-12	The Clovers; also Jay Migliori
Dec 13-19	Rhythm Festival of 1954 with Margie Anderson, the Quinns, the 3 Sharps
Dec 20-Jan 2 1955	Slim Gaillard; also J.C. Higginbotham; also Boston singer Margie Anderson

The Hi-Hat Schedule, 1955

Date	Groups Working
Jan	Hal Singer, dates unconfirmed; also J.C. Higginbotham
Jan 17-23	Fats Domino
Jan 24-30	Dizzy Gillespie
Jan 31-Feb 6	Johnny Smith; also Deek Watson of original Ink Spots
Feb 7-13	Miles Davis with Jay Migliori tenor, Al Walcott piano, Jimmy Woode bass, Jimmy Zitano drums; also Chico O'Farrill. Recordings of the Davis group during the engagement released by Fresh Sounds Records on FSR-CD 13.
Feb 14-20	Miles Davis with Migliori's group; also the Chords
Feb 21-27	LaVern Baker; also Sil Austin
Feb 28-Mar 6	Johnny Hodges; also Carmen McRae
Mar 7-13	Lynn Hope
Mar 14-20	Oscar Peterson
Mar 21-27	Sarah Vaughn
Mar 28-Apr 3	The Penguins; also Big Jay McNeely
Apr 4-10	Al Hibbler
Apr 11-17	Vic Dickenson All Stars; also Jay Tolbert
Apr 18-24	Illinois Jacquet
Apr 25-May 1	No band advertised
May 2-8	Roy Hamilton
May 9-15	Perez Prado
May 16-22	Buddy Rich
May 23-29	Max Roach with Clifford Brown
May 30-Jun 5	Serge Chaloff Sextet, the Boston Blow-Up group with Boots Mussulli alto, Herb Pomeroy trumpet, Ray Santisi piano, Everett Evans bass, Jimmy Zitano drums.
Jun 6-12	Billie Holiday
Jun 13-19	Ella Fitzgerald
July-August	Incomplete
Sep 12-25	Earl Bostic; also Clarence Jackson
Sep 26-Oct 2	Terry Gibbs; also vocalist Jan Strickland; also vocalist Clarence Jackson
Oct 3-9	Mel Torme; also Clarence Jackson
Oct 10-16	The Stylers; also Herbie Lee
Oct 17-23	Sunny Gayle with the Manuel Denize (Manny Wise) Septet
Oct 24-30	Tiny Grimes and His Rocking Highlanders
Oct 27-Nov 6	Jeri Southern; also Tiny Grimes and His Rocking Highlanders
Nov 7-13	Steve Gibson and Red Caps featuring Damita Jo
Nov 14-20	Roy Hamilton with the Manuel Denize Septet
Nov 21-Dec 1	Al Belletto Sextet; also Jack Mahoney organ duo
Dec 2-11	Machito's Mambo Cavalcade (Perez Prado cancelled)
Dec 12-18	The Five Keys
Dec 19	Fire closes the club. Woody Herman Orchestra was scheduled to open that night.