A look into Detroit's iconic Baker's Keyboard Lounge
Baker's Keyboard Lounge, the oldest Jazz club in the world, is celebrating 90 years on Livernois and Eight Mile Road. It is iconic in its own right and has hosted some of the most famous jazz musicians in the world.
Most notable performances include Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Donald Byrd and Earl Klugh. Additionally, Anita Baker filmed the music video for her title track, "Same Ole Love," from her album Rapture at Bakers.
Baker's is noted for its cozy confines, superb acoustics, and excellent food. The bar is shaped like a piano and offers jazz lovers daily happy hours.
The club was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s but started to decline in the 1970s and 1980s, nearly closing due to the low-interest level of the fanbase at that time. Jazz enthusiasts weaned from historic, complex and mainstream Jazz to more Hip-Hop Jazz, resulting in lesser-known acts being booked.
The club took a financial hit, and Hugh W. Smith III bought the club in 2011 after years of service as an employee.
"I was a patron coming to the club when I was 17 years old," Smith said. "The first Jazz act I ever saw was Earl Klugh and Perry Hughes. I asked for a job and got it. I was a good worker and, over the years, became good friends with the owner. He started having financial troubles, and I bought the club from him. The first jazz act i booked was guess what? Earl Klugh and Perry Hughes."
Smith then began booking top-notch local jazz talent, which has resulted in its current resurgence and popularity.
