Keystone Korner was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

club in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, which opened in 1972 and continued operation until 1983. Many live recordings were made at the club. Jessica Williams was the house pianist for a number of years.

History

In 1969, Freddie Herrera bought Dino and Carlo's Bar in the North Beach section of San Francisco. He changed the name to Keystone Korner, a reference to Keystone Cops, because of its proximity to the Central Police Station on the opposite corner of Emery Lane. Keystone Korner began as a topless bar, but quickly changed direction when songwriter

Nick Gravenites Nicholas George Gravenites (; born October 2, 1938) is an American blues, rock and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his work with Electric Flag (as their lead singer), Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield and several influential b ...

convinced Herrera that live music would bring in more customers. The strength of the music scene in San Francisco allowed Herrera to book young musicians who would go on to stellar careers. Patrons filled the club to hear new talents such as Saunders and Garcia,

Elvin Bishop Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. An original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a mem ...

, Neal Schon, Boz Scaggs, and

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, blu ...

. Herrera's success made it possible to move across the San Francisco Bay and open a larger room, called

Keystone Berkeley Keystone or key-stone or ''variation'', may refer to: * Keystone (architecture), a central stone or other piece at the apex of an arch or vault * Keystone (cask), a fitting used in ale casks Business * Keystone Law, a full-service law firm * Dig ...

. He then sold the Keystone Korner to Todd Barkan who converted the nightclub from a popular rock venue to an internationally famous jazz club. Barkan paid $12,500 () for the Keystone Korner in 1972, and hired prominent jazz musicians to play there. Early gigs by performers including

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as ...

and

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the ...

established the Keystone as one of the best jazz clubs in the nation—a reputation that continued to build as musicians

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

, McCoy Tyner,

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative int ...

and

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre o ...

appeared on its stage. Faced with economic challenges Barkan was forced to close the Keystone Korner in 1983. In 2019, Barkan and Michelin-starred chef Robert Wiedmaier re-launched the Keystone Korner in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

's Harbor East. Bassist and bandleader

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded n ...

and his trio with guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald Vega opened the club on April 30, 2019.

Live recordings

Todd Barkan, left, and drummer Blakey at Keystone Korner December 27, 1979

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

and Merl Saunders, '' Garcia Live Volume 15'' (1971) * Rahsaan Roland Kirk, '' Bright Moments'' (1973) *

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

, ''

10 Years Hence ''10 Years Hence'' is a live album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1974 at Keystone Korner in San Francisco and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (1974) * McCoy Tyner, ''

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'' (1974) * Locomotiv GT, ''Azalbummm'', (1974; :hu:Azalbummm) *

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/ hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of hi ...

, ''

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'' (1976) * Red Garland, ''

Keystones! ''Keystones!'' is a jazz album by pianist Red Garland, recorded in 1977 for Xanadu Records at Keystone Korner in San Francisco, CA. Track listing # Autumn Leaves # It's Impossible #Daahoud / New York (theme) # It's All Right With Me #On Gre ...

'' (1977) *

, ''

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

'' (M&I 1977) *

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

, '' San Francisco Samba'' (1977 997 *

, '' In This Korner'' (1978) *Red Garland, '' I Left My Heart...'' (1978 985 *

Jaki Byard John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for hi ...

, '' Sunshine of My Soul: Live at the Keystone Korner'' (1978,

007 The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

*Jaki Byard, '' A Matter of Black and White'' (1978-79

011 The following is a list of different international call prefixes that need to be dialled when placing an international telephone call from different countries. Countries by international prefix Countries using optional carrier selection cod ...

*Jaki Byard, '' The Late Show: An Evening with Jaki Byard'' (1979,

014 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * BIND-014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing by Maurice Philippe for use in the season. The cars wer ...

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

Keystone Nights Keystone or key-stone or ''variation'', may refer to: * Keystone (architecture), a central stone or other piece at the apex of an arch or vault * Keystone (cask), a fitting used in ale casks Business * Keystone Law, a full-service law firm * Dig ...

(1978-1979) (Blue Note 1980,1990 Mosaic 2004) * Tete Montoliu, ''

Live at the Keystone Corner ''Live at the Keystone Corner'' is a live album by pianist Tete Montoliu recorded at Keystone Korner in 1979 and released on the Dutch label, Timeless.

'' (Timeless, 1979) *

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Ar ...

, '' Morning Song'' (HighNote, 1980 008 *

, '' The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings'' (1980 000 *

, '' Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2'' (1980 002 *Art Blakey, '' Straight Ahead'' (1981) * Jimmy Smith and

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

, ''All the Way'' (1981) * Denny Zeitlin and Charlie Haden, '' Time Remembers One Time Once'' (1981 983 * Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson Bobby Hutcherson '' Keystone Bop: Sunday Night'' (1981), '' Keystone Bop Vol. 2: Friday & Saturday'' (1981) *

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of " sheets of sound", S ...

, ''

Heart is a Melody ''Heart is a Melody'' is a live album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1982 and released on the Theresa label.

'' (1982) *

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, whom he supported and played with for many years. Adderley's composition ...

, '' On the Move'' (1982) *Nat Adderley, '' Blue Autumn'' (1982) * Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, ''

Keystone 3 ''Keystone 3'' is a live album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco in 1982 and released on the Concord Jazz label.

'' (1982) *Freddie Hubbard, '' Above & Beyond'' (1982 999 * Tommy Flanagan and Jaki Byard, '' The Magic of 2'' (1982

013 013 is a music venue in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The venue opened in 1998 and replaced the ''Noorderligt'', the ''Bat Cave'' and the ''MuziekKantenWinkel''. 013 is the largest popular music venue in the southern Netherlands. There are two concer ...

*Timeless All Stars, '' It's Timeless'' (1982) -

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and ...

, Bobby Hutcherson

Harold Land Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/ Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Cliff ...

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz Trombone, trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December ...

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

, ''On the Korner'' (1983) * Bobby Hutcherson, '' Farewell Keystone'' (1982

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, ''

Among Friends Among Friends may refer to: * Among Friends (Art Pepper album) * Among Friends (Cedar Walton album) ''Among Friends'' is a live album by American jazz pianist Cedar Walton recorded in 1982 at Keystone Korner in San Francisco at the same series o ...

'' (1982

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, '' The Dolphin'', ''

Spring Is Here "Spring is Here" is a 1938 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical '' I Married an Angel'' (1938), where it was introduced by Dennis King and Vivienne Segal. Rodgers and Hart had previously writte ...

'' (1981), ''Moments in Time'' (1976

016 HV-016 is a former military unit of Norway, that was a part of the Home Guard. It was established after 1985 to "stop terror- or sabotage actions that could weaken or paralyze Norway's ability to mobilize its military and its ability to resist". ...

and

João Gilberto João Gilberto (born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira – ; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he was of ...

, '' Getz/Gilberto '76'' (1976

* Mary Lou Williams, '' Live at the Keystone Korner'' (1977 002

References

External links

*
Rochelle Metcalfe, ''Beyond Chron'' (December 14, 2011)Article by Sascha Feinstein on ''Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club'' by Kathy Sloane (October 26, 2011)
{{Authority control Jazz clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area 1972 establishments in California Defunct jazz clubs in California Nightclubs in San Francisco North Beach, San Francisco Nightclubs in Baltimore