COLORED MUSICIANS CLUB - BMHOF CLASS OF 2005

There is no other place in the world like Buffalo's Historic Colored Musicians Club. The Buffalo Local 533 was one of the first African-American musicians' unions (est. February 3, 1917) chartered in the United States. In July 1935 it established the Colored Musicians Club to provide meeting and practice space for the members. It has been located at 145 Broadway in the city of Buffalo, NY since July 1935. All the great stars of jazz who came to town in the golden years of jazz stopped in at the Colored Musicians Club to jam with local musicians. At a time when nearly all remnants of the musical past are gone, the Colored Musicians Club still stands today as a monument and testimonial to the world class music scene that was Buffalo in the 30's, 40's, and 50's. The Colored Musicians Club continues as an organization that is unique to Buffalo and preserves the traditions of the Buffalo music scene. It still provides an opportunity to listen to live music in an intimate setting. The club has hosted performances by solo artists, and groups up to big bands playing blues, swing, bebop, fusion, and smooth jazz in a relaxed atmosphere.

When the great jazz entertainers played in Buffalo in the 1930's, '40's and '50's, they would often stop by the Colored Musicians club to "jam" with their friends. Stars who played at the club include: Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Billie Holliday, James Moody, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Albert Ammons, Stuff Smith and more recently Diana Krall.

You can learn more about The Colored Musicians Club by visiting their museum that is located at 145 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14203. We encourage you to visit this one-of-a-kind club for the ultimate jazz experience. Some of the "house bands" that you can catch there regularly these days are The Macy Favor Big Band, The George Scott Big Band, The Carol McLaughlin Big Band, Art Anderson's Modern Sounds and Ladies First Big Band. 

For more information, check out the Colored Musicians Club website: www.cmctheclub.com