Sparky J's, previously known as the Cadillac Club,
was a popular
jazz club in downtown
Newark, New Jersey.
Sparky J's often featured
soul jazz or funky jazz best exemplified by the organ combo, a band usually consisting of a
Hammond B-3 organist, a saxophonist, a drummer, and a guitarist.
The club was located in downtown Newark, on the corner of
Halsey and William streets. This area known locally as the "Jazz Corner of the World" in the 70s because it contained two jazz clubs: Spark J's and
Key Club
Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club's goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. Key Club International is the hig ...
.
[George, Kanzler. "Newark Celebrating '70s Nightclub Scene." ''Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)'' 22 Nov. 1992: ''NewsBank - Archives''. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.] Both clubs closed in the 1970s, and they were the last full-time jazz clubs in the area at the time of closing. While Key Club was free entry, Sparky J's charged admission.
[Barbara, Kukla. "Hot jam: Benson returning for jazz fest's final event." ''Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)'' 31 Oct. 1996: 1. ''NewsBank - Archives''. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.]
In the 1990s, the Newark Jazz Festival held annual Organ Jams, which were also known as "The Key Club and Sparky J's Reunion", which featured bands that played soul jazz as they did in the 70s. Many of the same musicians that played in the 70s played in these Festivals. Proceeds from the organ jam benefited the
Black United Fund The National Black United Fund (NBUF) is an African-American charity. It aims to collect funds from the black community and use it to support black development. It was founded in Delaware in 1974 and first led by Walter Bremond
Walter may refer ...
of New Jersey.
It was one of the jazz clubs featured on the "A Tribute to Newark Jazz Clubs" painting, a large-scale outdoor mural in Newark completed in 2013.
Musicians and bands
*
Jimmy Scott
See also
*
Clement's Place, jazz club in
Newark, New Jersey
*
WBGO, Newark jazz radio
References
Further reading
* {{cite book, last1=Kukla, first1=Barbara J., title=America's Music: Jazz In Newark, date=2014, publisher=Swing City Press, isbn=978-0-9768130-3-3
Jazz clubs in New Jersey
Newark jazz
Culture of Newark, New Jersey
Defunct jazz clubs in New Jersey