The Dude Ranch was a jazz venue in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

that operated during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in the 1940s. It joined other jazz clubs along and nearby

North Williams Avenue North Williams Avenue is a north-south street located in Portland, Oregon, United States, and it defines the eastern boundary of North Portland. North Williams Avenue stretches from its southern terminus at Northeast Winning Way, near the Moda Cen ...

, a Black neighborhood. The venue was the self-proclaimed, "Pleasure Spot of the West." The Dude Ranch jazz

supper club A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image ...

opened in 1945 and was open for just one year. In that time it brought world-class jazz musicianship to the city. It was known as one of Portland's Black and Tan jazz clubs in 1945. The club was owned by Pat Patterson, the first African American basketball player at the University of Oregon, and Sherman "Cowboy" Pickett. The club's name was reflected in its decor, which included murals of black cowboys and waitresses in cowgirl outfits with holsters and cardboard pistols. The club was also known for its shaker girls, jugglers and tap dancers. Dude Ranch owners, Pickett and Patterson, booked popular local and national musicians including

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

, and the

Nat “King” Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

trio. On December 5, 1945,

Norman Granz Norman Granz (August 6, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American jazz record producer and concert promoter. He founded the record labels Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve, and Pablo. Granz was acknowledged as "the most successful impresar ...

’ touring show “Jazz at the Philharmonic” visited Portland and held an impromptu jam session at the Dude Ranch. That night, saxophonist

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

led trumpeter Roy “Little Jazz” Eldridge, bassist

Al McKibbon Al McKibbon (January 1, 1919 – July 29, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz. In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced ...

, and pianist

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

William McClendon William McClendon (1915–1996) was an American journalist, newspaper editor, educator, activist, jazz musician, and prominent member of Portland's civil rights community. He was born in 1915 in Atlanta, Georgia. He died at the age of 81 in 1996 ...

stated in ''The Observer'', one of Portland's

Black newspapers African-American newspapers (also known as the Black press or Black newspapers) are newspaper, news publications in the United States serving African-American communities. Samuel Cornish and John Brown Russwurm started the first African-Americ ...

, “Never before in the history of the northwest has there been as much jazz music played per square minute by any group.” The Dude Ranch was regularly covered by ''The Observer'' in a recurring section known as "Rhythm Round-Up". ''The Observer'' also regularly ran advertisements for the venue. The 240 North Broadway location of the Dude Ranch, considered by some to be "the hottest Black and Tan supper club west of Chicago," was closed in 1946. Local papers claimed the closure was due to gambling and an accidental shooting. The Dude Ranch reopened nearby but it did not have the same level of popularity. Some of the other African-American music or entertainment venues in the Portland metropolitan area at the time included: Club Acme (1504 N. Williams Avenue, Portland),

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

(215 Main Street, Vancouver, Washington), and Club Monterey (NW Third Avenue near Flanders Avenue, Portland).

References

External links

Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary {{DEFAULTSORT:Dude Ranch African-American history of Oregon History of Portland, Oregon 1945 establishments in Oregon Defunct music venues in Portland, Oregon Jazz clubs in Oregon Jazz in Oregon