Bourbon Street was a jazz club located at 180
Queen Street West
Queen Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Roncesvalles Avenue and King Street in the west to Victoria Park Avenue in the east. Queen Street was the cartographic baseline for the original east ...
in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. Operating between 1971 and 1986, it was one of Toronto's preeminent jazz clubs and featured many internationally renowned musicians.
History
Bourbon Street was opened in 1971 by Doug Cole, also the owner of
George's Spaghetti House
George's Spaghetti House was a jazz club located at 290 Dundas Street East in Toronto.
History
In 1956 entrepreneur Doug Cole (1925–2012) bought the restaurant, keeping the existing name. Cole began to feature jazz at the restaurant on weekend ...
.
The club featured a largely American musical lineup that was backed by a local
house band. In the fall of 1975 both
Jim Hall and
Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " Take Five". He ...
recorded live albums at the club for
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
. These albums both feature all-Canadian bands.
Cole sold the club in 1983; Bourbon Street continued to feature music until 1986.
The building has since been demolished.
Live albums
*Jim Hall - ''
Jim Hall Live! (1975)
*Paul Desmond - ''
The Paul Desmond Quartet Live'' (1975)
*Ed Bickert - ''
Ed Bickert at Toronto's Bourbon Street'' (1983)
*Lenny Breau Dave Young - Live at Bourbon Street (1983)
Newly released
*Paul Desmond - ''Like Someone in Love: Live in Toronto''
*Paul Desmond - ''Audrey: Live in Toronto 1975''
References
George's Jazz Room" In ''The Canadian Encyclopedia Online.''
Defunct jazz clubs
Jazz clubs in Toronto
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