March 22 wasn’t the actual day the jazz club Lulu White’s closed. That was the day the premises reopened as a Greek restaurant. There was no fire or padlock on the door to mark the closing of Lulu White’s, at 3 Appleton Street in the South End. It just closed its doors for a short time for a makeover, and then hung out a new sign.
That address had been lively for decades before the jazz arrived in January 1978. For over 20 years the place housed the Club Khiam, one of Boston’s better baklava bistros, known for its broadcasts of Middle Eastern music over WVOM-AM in the fifties.
Chester English was Lulu’s first owner, and the club name, bordello decor, and Chef Willard Chandler’s southern kitchen were presumably his idea. In early 1978, Tony Teixeira’s Creole Seven played Dixieland-style music there, with such notable local Creoles as Jeff Stout, Alex Ulanowsky, and Andy McGhee passing through the band. By the fall of 1978, though, a mostly mainstream format was in place. There were local groups like those of James Williams and Mae Arnette, but the club turned increasingly to name performers. Among them were Dorothy Donegan, Cleanhead Vinson, the Heath Brothers, Pepper Adams, and Dizzy Gillespie. Anita O’Day and Phil Woods visited annually. I haven’t found the dates yet, but there was apparently one week where Bill Evans and Dave McKenna shared the bill and took turns knocking each other out. [I believe the dates were Oct 30 to Nov 3, 1979 –RV]
Rumors of the club being in distress started in April 1981, when then-owners Dennis Palmisciano and Mario Carnavale denied the club had been purchased by nightclub operator Henry Vara, but did admit they were listening to offers. By then the club was closed Sundays and Mondays, and in ensuing months it booked some rock, without success.
The club was not advertising in 1981, so it isn’t clear when the music stopped. Nor was it clear when the club closed. But it was clear when Boston knew that Lulu White’s wasn’t coming back: when the sign went up in mid-March 1982 proclaiming the new name to be Athens by Nite, a Greek supper club, with no jazz men or women, Creole or otherwise, to be heard.
Losing Lulu’s as a jazz room was a blow to Boston, and one who remembers the place is the writer Stu Vandermark, a club regular, who writes warmly about it here.
Here’s the late summer schedule for 1979, at the club’s peak.
Some corrections required. Chester English and Arne Jensen were the original founders and managers of Lulu White’s. They were not the owners as I personally represented the Manhattan investment group and arranged the financing. I also was one of the persons responsible for the fabulous opennight party attended by over 800 persons with only 400 invitations sent. The local Boston police station and fire Marshall were besides themselves. Originally to maintain the live music venue and cabaret designation, arriving guests initially had to buy a “club membership” for $25 to meet the then regulations. I stayed 6 months and closed the venue every night and was escorted by local police to make our large cash night deposits. I was also involved in getting the local live radio coverage for the club. A lot more stories but will see if this triggers other folks’ memories. Btw I have been trying to track down Chester last 20 years. Lost touch with him in mid ’90’s.
Good thing about running a blog is that sometimes the people who know the backstories come by and leave comments… thank you, David. Never knew about the private club aspect at Lulu’s. Were there membership cards? I’d like to find one…
I took my Mom to see Betty Carter. ha ha. Also Dave Kikoski, Laura Dwyer, Tom Harrell, Mark “Bud” Templeton.
Cool. My mom couldn’t deal with anything more adventurous than the Tijuana Brass.
My friends and I had the coat check concession. We just got one of us Berklee students and a couple of other GFs that were artists or who just loved jazz. I think I had heard that brothel story from the Chef Willard. Remember Chester English and his GF Lisa? Then there was his silent partner (name forgotten, maybe Michael? and his wife/GF) and the Hostess? Was it Jane or Ann?? and her sidekick who sort of managed the place? That sure was a great gig though. I’ll never forget some of the acts that I saw there. Real eye openers. Chet Baker, Mongo SantaMaria, Stan Getz (who I was talking to, with both of us standing in that hall just facing the stage) I said my name was Goetz and I asked him where his family was from and he said they were Jews from Russian. Somehow that shut me up. Ha-Ha.
Anita O’Day was a real grouch. Dorothy Donegan used to stand half way up while seated at the piano to pull up her girdle for a laugh. It really worked for her! What a riot! Dizzy Gillespie was amazing. My overall favorite though was Mongo SantaMaria! McCoy Tyner was a real standout too. Every night was really wonderful. On some nights I made $100 which was great money since as a starving student, my day job was like $2.00 per hr.
Thanks to Jim Doran, still teaching guitar in Boston, for hustling that job up for us starving students!! We coat check people were Gay Morris Martel Siebert, Ann Thompson, Andy Fedely, and Jim and I as far as I can remember. I loved getting dressed up too!
“The Coat Check Gang.” Now, that’s a photo I would like to see…I’d have to post it here. Maybe some other readers can help out with some of those staff names. Good stories–thanks for stopping by.
Anita O’Day was such a charismatic performer, too bad she left that impression. Check out her 1958 Newport Jazz appearance on video. Fantastic!
I worked as a dishwasher at Lu Lu’s in 79 or 80. Saw Dizzy, Fatha Hines, Illinois Jacquet, George Shearing, Alan Dawson and others. Dizzy offered me blow in the back alley, Fatha Hines had my 17 year old girlfriend sit on his lap, Shearing had the refrigerators shut off during his set, Chef Chandler was so kind to me…How lucky I was to be there.
If you’ve got to have a day job, might as well have one in a situation that’s a little out of the ordinary. Sounds like you had that. Plus Chef Chandler’s food. Sure beats the Golden Arches.
At Lulu White’s, among others I remember hearing the Lee Konitz Quartet and also McCoy Tyner’s group, which at the time included violinist John Blake and saxophonist George Adams. Tyner’s album “Horizon” released in 1979 included both of those musicians, so it must have been around then that I heard the group there. Jo Jones (of Basie Band fame) was present that night to hear Tyner, which I remember surprised me just a bit. Lulu White’s truly was an exceptionally intimate club where one could hear great music among a very attentive audience.
I’m going to tell a story onstage about “awkward moments” and so had to look up Lulu White’s to jog my memory a little. I got hired on as a busboy for one weekend, fall ’79. No training, no clue, trial by fire. In that short time, I managed to light a table on fire, then quickly dosed it, and the surrounding patrons, with my pitcher of water. Short career. But the music was amazing!
I can see how that might qualify as an awkward moment, Chris. Now I hope that someone writes in about their night at Lulu’s when the busboy dumped a pitcher of water on their table. Good luck with your story–I’m a big fan of storytellers.
I loved going to Lulu White’s. I saw Dizzy Gillespie and Celia Cruz there.
My wife and I went to Lulu Whites a number of times back in the day. I never realized it was open for such a short time. I can remember seeing Johnny Griffin, Joe Williams, Helen Humes, Lockjaw Davis and Sweets Edison. I think Lionel Hampton and Earl Hines might have played there too.
And the Chef Chandler comment brought back memories of the soul food place he had on Columbus Avenue. Great club.
Lulu’s story was by no means unique. They drew good crowds on Friday, Saturday, Sunday brunch. Quiet the rest of the week. The club’s second owners decided to cut their losses, and that was that. Don’t know about Hines, but Lionel Hampton played the club in Sept 1981.
Earl Father Hines definitely played there, I was a hostess there, for a blink of an eye and he played a night I was working.
In 1979 I went to Lulu White’s when I was a student at Berklee College to hear my professors Alex Ulanowsky (who was leading the trio), Whit Browne, and Alan Dawson as the local pick-up band for the vocal group Jon Hendricks and Family. Jon’s wife Judith and daughter Michele were singing, along with a newbie whom I’d never heard of nor seen named Bobby McFerrin. Bobby performed the standard incredible repertoire of Jon Hendrick’s classic vocalese arrangements but he also got up and sang a solo acappella version of Joan Armatrading’s song Opportunity, which totally knocked me out. When he wasn’t singing on stage with the rest of the group, he was sitting on the side near Alan Dawson. I introduced myself during the break and told him how much I liked his solo arrangement. He said it was a great education getting to perform with such a great rhythm section and that he was learning so much listening to their masterful playing. I just heard an interview with Bobby McFerrin, Michele Hendricks, Kurt Elling, Sheila Jordan and Jazzmeia Horn celebrating the centennial of what would have been Jon’s birthday (Sept 16, 1921). Bobby mentioned he only sang with the group from March to Nov of 1979. I’ll have to look through my journals to see what the exact date was at Lulu Whites. My first jazz trio would perform at Lulu Whites for a city councilman’s campaign–opening for the Sabby Lewis band, who performed at Lulu’s every Saturday night. I also saw pianist Bill Evans there. I never knew until today that the club was named after the famous creole woman who ran a bordello in New Orleans for years.
Thanks for the great story. I don’t have the date for Hendricks, but I know Sabby played Saturdays July through September in 1979. And there’s something on Bill Evans at Lulu’s on a different page: https://richardvacca.com/oct-30-1979-bill-evans-dave-mckenna-at-lulu-whites/
Can’t tell if it’s too late to get a reply but here goes anyway. I cherish the memories of seeing Duke, Ella, Dizzy, the Count etc. elsewhere. But equally up there was Helen Humes at Lulu’s. The mid-way surprise act was an exquisite elderly woman who belted out her song. I think it was Alberta Hunter. Do you know? Thanks for the memories.
Sorry, but I can’t identify the mystery singer, but I’ll take a guess that it was the then-retired local singer/pianist, Mabel Robinson Simms. I do know that Helen Humes was a favorite at Lulu’s. She was one of the first jazz names to play the club in early 1978, and made frequent stops there in 1978-79. I’ll ask a few of the usual suspects if they can remember a guest vocalist with Humes at Lulu’s. Thanks for dropping by.
I took my parents, who were visiting from India, to Lulu’s in 1981 to see Woody Shaw live. Having moved round the corner on Berkeley St that year, I was unaware till then of the club’s jazz reputation. It might have been the last famous gig there.
It did sort of limp to the finish line — the owners were trying to sell the place and the bookings were sporadic. But at least you made it to Lulu’s. I did not — I moved to Boston a few months after it closed down. Thanks for stopping by. –DV
Loved that place, saw McCoy Tyner and Woody Shaw along with many others.
During my last two years in grad school I would frequent Lulu Whites. I saw McCoy Tyner, Grover Washington and Gil Scott Heron. I relocated to Baltimore and found a place in the same theme…but not as good a spirit. Thanks for providing a place where I could share good memories.
Saw Stan Getz Quintet there for special election nite special. Two dollars to get in. Mitchell Forman on piano. Was over from UK. Still have the flyer publicising the gig. Out of this world
Good story. I’d love to see the flyer — there aren’t many from Lulu White’s around. Thanks for dropping by.
I enjoyed playing bass at Lulu White’s 1978-79 accompanying Brian Jackson who was Gil Scott Heron’s lead vocalist. Brian was out and about doing his solo tour. My favorite song that night was Stevie Wonder’s 1972 “When The Winter Came”. Last week I was called up to the band stand to sit in to play this song. This made me reminsce and research this Lulu White’s thus bringing me to this site for the history. I hadn’t played that song probably since that Brian Williams gig but I nailed it. Pardon my patting myself on the back kudos but everso grateful for a good memory.
Jeff, thanks for stopping by, first to remind us what a great bassist your dad was, with Sabby, and the Paul Champ Three. And then for telling your own story about Lulu White’s, working with Brian Jackson early in his solo career there, and then having some of that music reverberate all the way up to the present day. Sounds good to me! (Visit Jeff online at jeffjoneszone.com.)
I cooked here either late ’78 or early ’79 I worked with Chef Willard Chandler a few nights a week great experience
I enjoyed playing bass at LuLu White’s in 1978 with Brian Jackson who was Gil Scott Heron’s lead vocalist which so complimented GSH’s poetry and was a forerunner for the rap vocalist combos which they preceded.
One of the great spots in Boston during the late ’70s, with too short a life. Sitting a few feet from tenor giant Arnett Cobb was only one of the indelible memories.
Well, Bob, if you ever feel like sharing more of those memories, I’m all ears…
I was lucky enough to hear Blossom Dearie at Lulu White’s .Also attended a celebration for Ron Della Chiesa there. Wish I could remember all the details…it’s so long ago. Thank you for providing this wealth of information every day.
The Della Chiesa testimonial was May 12, 1980, with many of the usual suspects in attendance–Dick Johnson, Bob Winter, Maggie Scott. I’m guessing it was a good night! And thanks for reading!
Blossom Dearie!! I missed that night but have other great memories of Lulu White’s.
Even though I only went there once, I have very pleasant memories of Lulu’s because it’s the place where I got to see Chet Baker play, for the only time in my life. It was September, 1978. Chet had a quintet with Roger Rosenberg, baritone; Jim McNeely, piano; Chip Jackson, bass; and (I think) Jimmy Madison, drums.
I went with my friend Bob Bassett, the jazz radio DJ, who had made arrangements to tape an interview with Chet for his show. After the first set, we went into a small room backstage and Bob did the interview while I shot some pictures. Chet was very pleasant, and after the interview, we shared a few laughs before he went out for the next set.
I never went to Lulu’s again, and then, as you’ve told us, it was gone.
Was Bob Bassett still working locally then, or had he already moved down to the DC area? And even if you made it to Lulu White’s just once, that’s one more time than I made it–I moved to Boston in June 1982.
In ’78, Bob was still working at WTEV-TV in New Bedford as the sports director (he and I had worked there together for over 6 years), and he had a jazz show on WBSM radio, also in New Bedford (I subbed for him a few times on that show). He didn’t go to Washington until1981. (Just out of curiosity, how did you know about Bob, and that he went to the DC area?). He and I went to many jazz gigs together, including Art Pepper’s only (to my knowledge) gig at the Jazz Workshop, around ’78 or ’79.
And speaking of Lulu White’s – are you aware of the Bill Evans Trio CD, “Live At Lulu White’s”? It’s on the bootleg Gambit label. It was recorded (and maybe broadcast) by WGBH! I’d love to know how that tape got into the hands of a Spanish bootleg label.
The Bill Evans Trio recording will probably be the subject of my Oct 30 post, if I make it that far and you’re still hanging around the blog! As for Bob, some years back his record collection was being sold on EBay, and I got curious and searched out the details.
Sure wish I’d gotten to see Chet up close and personal. In spite of his reputation he was really on top of his game in the 70’s. I did get to see some of the greats at Jonathan Swifts but do miss those originals from decades ago.
I spent many a wonderful night at Lulu White’s. Saw Johnny Hartman, Chet Baker, Art Blakey Jazz Messengers with James Williams on piano. Many others. Papa Jo Jones would be hanging at the bar.
I remember one night walking out with Alan Dawson (he was almost the house drummer). He was shlepping his drum cases. He turned to me and said, “I thought by now someone would be doing this for me!” We both laughed.
As best I can tell, Dawson was the house drummer. Sabby Lewis had a band there for a while on Saturday nights, and I wonder if Dawson reunited with his old boss after a 20-odd year hiatus.
My dad the late Champ Jones was one of Sabby Lewis’ bassists. The late Alan Dawson and his family were frequent visitors at our house and in turn our family was often at the Dawson’s residence in West Medord. Beautiful memories.