Sources
- Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper
- Times-Union Newspaper
- Rochester Business Journal
- AI-aided Google searches
- Additional sources credited in the table
Rochester music history
Past Venues from History
A directory of clubs, lounges, halls, and gathering places connected to Rochester’s Jazz history.
104
Historic venues
104 of 104 venues shown
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| Venue | Owner / Manager | Approx. years | Location | Music Only or Dance | Importance/Comments | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 O’Clock Club | Lou DeLeo | 1951-1961 | 83 East Ave | formerly the Number One Bar and The Chanticleer | ||
| Al's Green Tavern | Allison Weinstein; Frank Vendetti | 1948-1954; 1955-? | 1160 N. Goodman St. | |||
| Allard’s | Fred Allard | c. 1937 | 252 State Street | |||
| Amalfi’s | John L Amalfi | 60-80’s | 1331 St Paul Street | Dance | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Annette’s | Nan Kent | 2024-2026 | 27 W Main St, Webster | |||
| Band Box | Joe Strazzeri | 1955-1959 | State Street | Dancing not confirmed | Jazz venue associated with Rochester's club scene; patron dancing not confirmed in period ads reviewed | rochistory.wordpress.com |
| Bardo’s | August Bardo | 1920-1945 | Lyell and Elmgrove | |||
| Ben's Café Society | Ben Ribaudo | at least 1967–1978 | 23 Stillson St | Dance — ad confirmed | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| BK Lounge | Ben Keaton | early 90’s | 480 West Main St | |||
| Blue Gardenia | Benjamin "Ben Manning" Menegazzi | 1961–1982 | 382 Empire Blvd. | No dancing — period guide | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Blue Sombrero | Benjamin "Ben Manning" Menegazzi | c. 1964-1958 | Stutson St Plaza | No dancing — period guide | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Boston Harbor | John Signorino | c. 1950 | 465 East Main St | |||
| Bungalow | Ed Thasing and Les Schmanke | c. 1937 | 1456 Mt. Hope Ave | |||
| Carioca | Al "Chic" DeMitry | c. 1959-1974 | 2960 W. Henrietta Rd. | Dance — ad confirmed | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Changing Scene | Davre's/ARA | 1977-1985 | First Federal Plaza | |||
| Chanticleer | Louis DeLeo | Bef 1951 | 83 East Ave | |||
| Chez Jean-Pierre | Jean-Pierre Mariol | Abt 1974-1984 | 295 Alexander St | Joe Locke played there often in 77-78 | ||
| Clarissa Room | John Starr | 2002-2007 | 293 Clarissa St | Dance — later ad (2008) | Dance advertisement is from 2008, just after the listed operating dates | rocsalsa.com |
| Clinton Hall | Elks Club | early 60’s | 416 Clinton Ave N | |||
| Club 86 | Legott family | 1947-present | 86 Avenue E Geneva | Dance — historical evidence | historicgeneva.org | |
| Club Casa Blanca | Clarence J. Infantino | 1940’s-1961 | 787 Lake Avenue | |||
| Club Checkmate | Charles Button | early 70’s | 480 West Main St | |||
| Club West Indies | Carlos “Tony” Price | Late 1970’s | 485 East Main St | |||
| Collegiate Club | DeMolay | c. 1950 | 875 East Main | |||
| Colline's Village Lounge | John Colline | at least 1955–1966 | 4428 Lake Ave | |||
| Convention Hall | City of Rochester | 1935-1936 | Now GEVA | Duke Ellington in 1935 among others | ||
| Cotton Club | Louis Lipsitz | 1943-1956 | 222 Joseph Avenue | Dance — ad confirmed (1939) | Important jazz/R&B club in Rochester's Black community; 1939 dance ad predates the listed operating years | rochestervoices.org |
| Diamond Bar | Louis DeLeo; Joe Lauria | 1942-1949+ | 70 East Avenue | |||
| Diamondhead Lounge | Al Honan | 2930 W Henrietta Rd | ||||
| Doug Duke’s Music Room | Doug Duke | 1966-1973 | 4449 Lake Ave | |||
| Duffy’s Backstage | Dick Warner & Burt Kramer | 1968–1975 | 81 Marshall St | |||
| Duffy’s Tavern | Joe Ryan | 1961-1968 | 81 Marshall St | Dance — ad confirmed | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Dunigan’s Log Cabin Inn | Frank Dunigan | c. 1937 | 785 Buffalo Road | |||
| Edgewater Tavern | Louis Cook; Stan & Vic Malak | 1930-1961 | 940 Edgemere Dr | Dance — promotion confirmed | various names | mcnygenealogy.com |
| El Echo | James Percas | c. 1964 | 1392 St Paul St | |||
| Ernie's Place | Ernesto Bedini | 1937-1949 | 4653 Lake Ave | |||
| Fasaha Supper Club | Ruby Rhodes | early 80’s | 564 Chili Ave | |||
| Fawn Club | Albert J. Callemyn; Jack Forbes and Al Ciminelli | 1948-1952 | 1982 E Ridge Rd | forerunner of the Ridgecrest Inn | ||
| Forest House | Tom Betts | c. 1937 | 2100 Ridge Road East | |||
| Glass Onion | Bill Petsos | 1975–1993 | 81 Marshall St | Dance — later disco era | rochistory.wordpress.com | |
| Golden Grill Inn | Arthur and Anna Titus | 1930’s-1958 | 4775 Lake Ave. | Dance — promotion confirmed | Charlotte-area venue that presented jazz | mcnygenealogy.com |
| Gysie & Bob | John Moran & Robery Farley | c. 1985 | 204 Genesee St. | |||
| Hi-Land Inn | Wes and Jane Morey | 1949–1976 | 938 Clinton Ave. S. | Early jazz venue; Sonny Stitt; Hot Lips Page; Zutty Singleton | ||
| HiFi-400 | John L. Amalfi | 1950-1960’s | 1363 N. Goodman St | Dance | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Hokie's Place | Steve Shero | at least 1958 | 1670 Scottsville Rd. | |||
| Hotel Union | Hiram Day | c. 1937 | 40 South Union Street | Dance — ad confirmed | libraryweb.org | |
| Il Papagallo | Joe Mira | 1958-1961 | 14 State St. | |||
| Impulse | Gap Mangione | 1958-1961 | Court & Chestnut | Non-Alcoholic Venue | ||
| Indigo’s | Mel Henderson | About 1986 | 302 University Ave | |||
| Infantino’s | Clarence J. Infantino | 1950’s | 787 Lake Avenue | No dancing — period guide | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| J&L Lounge | Hy and Morrie Zwick | Pre 1950 | 881 Merchants Rd. | early name was J&L Grill | ||
| Jazzberry’s | Susan Plunkett | 1984-1988 | 713 Monroe Ave | |||
| Jazzberry’s Uptown | Susan Plunkett | 1990-1992 | 50 East Ave | helped start the area known as “The East End” | ||
| Jenks & Jones Lounge | Oren Jenkins | 60’s-90’s | 325 Genesee St | |||
| Jerry’s El Rancho | Gerald "Jerry" Pancoast | 1950s-early 60’s | 3015 W Henrietta Rd | |||
| Jim Rund’s | Jim Rund | mid 1960-1980’s | 2851 W Henrietta Rd | Dance | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Joyland Restaurant | Salvatore Caruana; Harry Loria | c. 1937 | 404 N Clinton | |||
| La Galerie | Dick Zicari & Howard Sutton | c. 1965 | Main and Broad | |||
| Lake Ave Grill | Clarence J. Infantino | early 1940’s | 787 Lake Avenue | |||
| Larry’s Lounge | Michael Sarli | c. 1953 | 72 Franklin St | |||
| Mardi Gras | Benjamin "Ben Manning" Menegazzi | 1958–early 1960s | 4775 Lake Ave. Rochester | formerly the Golden Grill | ||
| Mister Wonderful | Alton Jones | 1968 | 680 W. Main St. | |||
| Mr. B's Bar & Restaurant | Vincent Gentile | at least 1957 | 361 Child St. | |||
| Number One Bar | Louis DeLeo | 83 East Ave | ||||
| O'Brien's Lounge | O'Brien family | 1955-1958 | 1768 E. Main St. | featured Doug Duke | ||
| O’Dell’s Taproom | Robert O’Dell | 1941-1946 | 253 East Ave | |||
| Otmen's Restaurant | Sammy Proff and Andy Laplaca | 1948-1965 | 47 Front St. | Jazz venue and jam-session location | ||
| Paddock Lounge | Roseann Marchaesi | at least 1956–1957 | 2264 Clifford Ave. | |||
| Parkay Restaurant | Durante Family | 1954 | 630 Park Ave | |||
| Passport Restaurant | Benjamin "Ben Manning" Menegazzi | 1985-? | 368 Jefferson Road | Dance — 1969 ad; date conflict | 1969 dance ad at the same address predates the listed operating years; chronology should be verified | mcnygenealogy.com |
| Peoples Club | Monroe Co. Community Organizers | mid-1970’s | 584 Jefferson Ave. | |||
| Pittsford Inn | Jack Bucey & Jim Randall | -1950 | Main and State Pittsford | Dance — ad confirmed | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Pythodd Club | Stanley Thomas Jr. (Mgr) | 1942–1973 | 159 Troup St. at Clarissa | No dancing — historical evidence | Rochester's most important Black-owned jazz club; major touring acts and local musicians; no patron dancing | jayrowe.net |
| Pythodd Jazz Room | Tyrone Ashford | 2016 | 4705 Lake Ave | |||
| Rascal Café | Milton Staud | 1963-1982 | 420 E. Main St. | No dancing — period guide | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Rattlesnake Pete's | Pete Gruber | Pre 1956 | 8 Mill St. | |||
| Red Creek | Max Springut | c. 1970s–1980s | 300 Jefferson Rd. | |||
| Regent House | Tony Heir | 1960 | 2851 W Henrietta Rd | |||
| Ridgecrest Inn | Jack Forbes; Wes and Jane Morey | 1952–1953; 1953-1963 | 1982 E. Ridge Rd. | Major national jazz stop; Miles Davis; Dizzy Gillespie; Billie Holiday; Charlie Parker; etc. | ||
| Ringside Restaurant | Bob D’Andrea | -1958 | 427 Court Street | |||
| Roller Palace | Ed Baumeister | ~1940-1964 | 155 Chestnut St | Dance — historical evidence | Large dance/concert venue; Ray Charles and other touring acts | roccitymag.com |
| Rupert Gray’s | Rupert Gray | 1947-1952 | 3700 East Ave | Dancing not confirmed | Dance Orchestra; Republican Six Orchestra | mcnygenealogy.com |
| Rustic Gardens | John F. Land et al | 1927-1928 | W. Broad and Fitzhugh | Dance — ad confirmed | Dance Hall | rwcn-idwiki-2.restaurantwarecollectors.com |
| Salt n’ Pepper Lounge | Henry James & Don Gordon | 1971 | 1046 E. Main St. | |||
| Sarli’s | Mike Sarli | c. 1958 | 404 N Clinton | |||
| Shel-Mar Lounge | Harry Spiegelman | c. 1965 | 404 N Clinton | |||
| Shep's Paradise | Ruther Sheppard | 1990’s-2002 | 293 Clarissa St. | Later-generation Clarissa Street jazz/blues venue | ||
| Sparky's Avenue Restaurant | Charlie Jenks; others | 1940’s-1961 | 241 University Ave. | AKA The Avenue; Macaluso’s; Riggy’s | ||
| Squeezer's Musical Bar | Joe Strazzeri | 1946–1955 | State St. area | One of Rochester's earliest major jazz clubs | ||
| Surf Club | Al Gala | 1955-58 | 760 Edgemere Drive | |||
| The Breakers on the Lake | Milton J. Staud. | 1950’s | 750 Edgemere Drive | Dance — historical evidence | rochistory.wordpress.com | |
| The Bungalow | Edward “Edw.” Thasing and Les Schmanke | c. 1937 | 1456 Mt. Hope Ave. | |||
| The Kasbah | Bob Fafone | c. 1956 | 8 Mill St. | |||
| The Nugget | Lee Grills | Early 1970 | East Henrietta Rd | |||
| The Other Side of the Tracks | Peter B. Heinrich | c. 1960-1970 | Main St Pittsford | Dance | adjoined The Depot | mcnygenealogy.com |
| The Patio | Al "Chic" DeMitry | 1953 | 2960 West Henrietta Rd | |||
| The Pepper Pot | Andrew J Davignon | Early 1950 | 1392 St Paul St. | |||
| The Shakespeare Room | Clark Murphy | Late 1960s-early 1970s | Xerox Tower | Dance | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| The Willows | Julius and Norman Weiss | 1940-1953 | 175 East Ave | previously Norman’s | ||
| Tiny's Bengal Inn | Frank Morris; others | 1930-1958+ | 5389 St. Paul Blvd. | Dance — historical recollection | washingtonpost.com | |
| Top of the Plaza | Jim Foley | 1960s–? | Midtown Plaza area | Dance — ad/guide confirmed | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| Val’s Lounge | Ann Valinzo | c. 1960s–1970s | 1776 Monroe Ave | Dance | mcnygenealogy.com | |
| VIP’s Lounge | Richard Richardson | c. 1965-1966 | 404 N Clinton | |||
| Westfield Grill | Joseph Panetta | c. 1937 | 964 Chili Ave. |
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