Ever heard a piano bar inspire a celebrity’s swimming pool? Welcome to Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. It is more than just a jazz club. Baker’s Keyboard Lounge is a Detroit landmark with a fascinating story.
In May 1933, Chris and Fannie Baker started a lunchtime sandwich restaurant. By 1934, their son Clarence Baker began booking jazz pianists. Baker’s was still mainly a restaurant then. Clarence took over in 1939 after his father’s stroke. That year, he started booking pianists from outside Detroit. However, local pianist Pat Flowers played there from 1940 to 1954.
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge underwent a significant change in 1952. The club was expanded. It was remodeled into the Art Deco style you see today. By 1954, business boomed. The following year, Baker’s began featuring major jazz acts. Art Tatum played his last two years here. Dave Brubeck performed in 1957 and Gerry Mulligan in 1958.
Modern jazz was less common in the 1950s. In the 1960s, the club shifted to Hard Bop. Clarence leased Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in the 1960s. He resumed control in the 1970s.
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge is known for many things. It has a long history of presenting jazz acts. Its acoustics are excellent. The space is intimate seating only 99. The Art Deco furnishings are distinctive. The piano-shaped bar features a keyboard motif. Harry Julian Carew’s paintings of European cities add flair. Tilted mirrors let you view the pianist’s hands. The Steinway piano was chosen by Tatum in New York. He bought it for Clarence in the 1950s. Baker’s still displays its 1934 liquor pricelist. Beer cost 26 cents then.
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office designated Baker’s as a Historic Site in 1986. Baker’s Keyboard Lounge is Michigan’s jazz mecca. It is Detroit’s oldest jazz club in continuous operation. Since 1939, Baker’s has hosted the greatest names in blues and jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Oscar Peterson are just a few. George Shearing, Sarah Vaughn and Nat King Cole also played here. In 1984, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge celebrated 50 years of jazz.
The club’s popularity declined in the 1970s and 1980s. It nearly closed several times. Clarence Baker sold Baker’s in 1996 after 57 years. John Colbert and Juanita Jackson were the new owners. They faced challenges such as declining interest in live jazz. Also, hip hop became popular. The new owners tried fundraisers. They booked fewer national acts. They emphasized local artists. They diversified the lineup with R&B and comedy.
The club regained popularity. However, the economy declined. Colbert declared bankruptcy in 2010. Many feared Baker’s would close. In 2011, Hugh W Smith III and Eric Whitaker Sr purchased Baker’s. Smith had managed the club for two years. They vowed to keep Baker’s open as a jazz club.
In 2016, Detroit City Council created the Baker’s Keyboard Lounge Historic District. This prevents demolition or exterior changes. The Detroit Historic District Commission must approve any alterations.
Detroit’s economic and cultural revival has helped Baker’s. It is receiving media coverage again.
Many famous musicians have played here. Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Fats Waller are among them. Wes Montgomery, Erroll Garner and Chet Baker also performed.
Barbra Streisand performed at Baker’s in 1961. Charles Mingus’s 1969 performances marked his comeback. Earl Klugh credits Baker’s for his career development. As a teen, he met George Benson, Chick Corea and Bill Evans here.
Jazz singer Eddie Jefferson was killed outside Baker’s in 1979.
Father Tom Vaughan recorded “Motor City Soul” at Baker’s in 1967. Woody Shaw recorded “Bemsha Swing” here in 1986. Anita Baker filmed her “Same Ole Love” music video at Baker’s in 1987. James Carter recorded “Live at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge” in 2001.
Baker’s piano-shaped bar inspired Liberace’s piano-shaped swimming pool. The Funk Brothers performed at Baker’s in the “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” documentary.
So here we are at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge a true living legend.