The iconic Baker's Keyboard Lounge, which has hosted some of the biggest names in jazz over the years including Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, is a candidate to be Detroit's 194th official historic landmark.
"It may be the first nightclub that has always operated as a nightclub and continues to do so," to gain historic status in Detroit, said Janese Chapman, planner for the city's Historic Designation Advisory Board, The Detroit News reports.
Louis Aguilar writes:
City officials have started the process to have the 81-year-old nightclub declared a historic district. In Detroit, even a single place is designated a "district." The city has officially recognized other landmarks that pay homage to Detroit's musical heritage — Motown Records, Orchestra Hall and Midtown's Garden Theater are a few examples. But it's rare a working nightclub has a shot at the designation, city officials said.
Baker's the jazz club was born in May, 1934, when a local female pianist was booked at the club on Livernois, just south of Eight Mile. It was the first live gig for Baker's. The music has never stopped. The legends who've played there are too many to list. A sample: Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn, Dave Brubeck and George Benson.
