Chapter 20 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER—> “This is one of the biggest days in history,” the Chicago American wrote on June 30, 1919. “Nothing like this ever happened before. Nothing like this… Continue reading Chicago, June 30, 1919: John Barleycorn Must Die!
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Building Chicago’s Riviera Theatre
Chapter 19 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> In the midst of Chicago’s turmoil over late-night cabarets, Tom Chamales expanded his local entertainment empire beyond Green Mill Gardens. In March 1916, the Chicago… Continue reading Building Chicago’s Riviera Theatre
Chicago’s 1918 War Against Fun
Chapter 18 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> The war against fun in Chicago reached a milestone in 1918. This was the year when the city’s aldermen voted to outlaw most live music… Continue reading Chicago’s 1918 War Against Fun
A Jazzy Trial in 1917 Chicago: Who Wrote Those Blues?
Chapter 17 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> In the midst of Chicago’s jazz boom and cabaret controversies of 1917, the city played host to a curious event in the annals of legal… Continue reading A Jazzy Trial in 1917 Chicago: Who Wrote Those Blues?
1917: The Jazz Army Goes to War, and the Shows Go On
Chapter 16 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> As 1917 began, Tom Chamales was arguing with his landlords, Catherine and Charles Hoffman, about changes he’d made at Green Mill Gardens. He’d apparently removed… Continue reading 1917: The Jazz Army Goes to War, and the Shows Go On
‘Personal Liberty’ Under Attack in 1916: The War on Cabarets
Chapter 15 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER—> In 1916, the Day Book newspaper said Green Mill Gardens was one of Chicago’s “three big personal liberty gardens.” The other two were Bismarck Gardens—located a… Continue reading ‘Personal Liberty’ Under Attack in 1916: The War on Cabarets
Concerts and Controversies of 1915
Chapter 14 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> In 1915—the same year when jazz music was written about for the first time—the biggest event at Green Mill Gardens may have been a charity… Continue reading Concerts and Controversies of 1915
When the Blues Cured the Blues
Chapter 13 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> Chicago is famous for many kinds of music, but the blues may be the first genre that comes to mind when people think of music… Continue reading When the Blues Cured the Blues
‘What kind of noise is that!’ When Jazz Became Jazz
Chapter 12 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> Around 1915, some musicians from New Orleans and San Francisco arrived in Chicago, where they started playing something called jazz. Did they bring that word… Continue reading ‘What kind of noise is that!’ When Jazz Became Jazz
A Tribune Reporter Discovers Jazz and Blues
Chapter 11 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> The next three chapters are a bit of a detour, exploring the origins of jazz and blues (the musical genres as well as the words… Continue reading A Tribune Reporter Discovers Jazz and Blues