The origin of Seattle's Jazz scene grew out of the unique political and social climate of Prohibition and 1920s and was centered around Jackson Street in what is now the Chinatown - International District neighborhood. A decade later, the beginning of the swing era attracted new listeners to jazz music, particularly young people. The relatively small size of the jazz scene in Seattle allowed the musicians, club owners, and club patrons to develop a sense of community, and the racial and social mixing seen was remarkable in an era of racial segregation and class tensions. Jackson Street remained the heart of Seattle jazz for many years and should be remembered not only for its jazz music, but also for its ability to bring diverse peoples together.
The image here of The Old Rocking Chair Club in 1945 was taken to identify it as one of the "numerous 'night spots' that continue Seattle operations despite frequent arrests on the premises for violation of state liquor laws," according to then-Mayor William F. Devin. Some Seattleites—particularly upper-class whites—disapproved of the abundance of vice and racial mixing in the neighborhood and city officials and police increased action against Jackson Street clubs’ illicit activities.
The club, located in a two-story wooden house on the southeast corner of 14th and Yesler, boasted a comfortable bar built from glass blocks, a small bandstand, and a not-so-discrete gambling room upstairs. In 1948 the Rocking Chair was guaranteed a place in history by attracting Ray Charles, an as-yet-unknown 17-year-old pianist, to a jam session on his first night in the city, and later was the place Charles and his bandmates were offered their first record deal.
Caption information source: "Drink, Dance Joints Thrive After Curfew," by Sidney Copeland, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 30, 1945, pages 1, 4. Caption information source: "Problem Spots," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 4, 1945, page 15. Caption information source: "Jazz on Jackson Street: The Birth of a Multiracial Musical Community in Seattle," by Kaegan Faltys-Burr, https://depts.washington.edu/depress/jazz_jackson_street_seattle.shtml Caption information source: "Rocking Chair Blues: 1949," by Pete Blecha, http://nw-music-archives.blogspot.com/2011/04/rocking-chair-blues-1949.html
