Stage Door Canteen

When you think of jazz, what cities come to mind? New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, Chicago, New York City, but Philly is rarely synonymous with conversations about jazz. Yet this city has one of the wealthiest traditions whose roots run deep in the evolution of the music genre. Philadelphia’s jazz legacy owes much to the Great Migration. This movement, occurring during WWI, brought Black Americans leaving the South to urban cities in the North in search of work and freedom from the dangers and oppression of the Jim Crow South.

Philadelphia was the birthplace of legendary jazz musicians, such as Benny Golson, Shirley Scott, the Heath Brothers—Jimmy, Percy, Tootie—Billie Holiday, and Lee Morgan, to name a few. It served as a major city for artistic expression. Even legends like John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, though not originally from Philly, found the city instrumental in their growth as artists.

Central to Philadelphia's vibrant jazz history were the spaces where artists could come together to perform. Young aspiring artists had the opportunities to hear, if not jam with, their heroes. However, even in the Northern cities, Black Americans had to endure discrimination and segregation, making the struggle for social justice an integral part of the jazz movement.

Lionel Hampton at Stage Door Canteen

During WWII, from 1943- 1945, the basement of the Academy of Music housed a club for servicemen known as the Stage Door Canteen. Originating in New York City, the Stage Door quickly gained popularity, leading to establishment of similar venues nationwide. Operated by volunteers, it provided servicemen with entertainment, food, nonalcoholic drinks, and a chance to mingle with celebrities.

Despite the military's segration policies at the time, the Stage Door Canteen did not allow segregation. One historian writes that the most radical aspect of the rule against discrimination was that it suggested instead of placing the burden of racial tension on those who were discrimated against, it advocated for the changing attitudes and behaviors of white indviduals.

George Bon Bon Tunnell

George 'Bon Bon' Tunnell, born in Reading, PA was the first Black male singer to be featured with a White jazz big band, the Jan Savitt Orchestra from 1937- 1942. Pictured is Tunnell performing at the Stage Door Canteen.

Important to note is that it was here in the back rows of the Academy of Music was where young John Coltrane and Benny Golson first heard Charlie Parker. According to Benny Golson, "This was beyond 'good'. It was completely new, innovative and profound. We were drunk with happiness and bewilderment. I felt like crying. We didn't know then, but our musical world changed that night." The young aspiring artists waited for Charlie Parker as he left and questioned him as he walked to his next gig. Too young to get into the club, Coltrane and Golson hung around and listened through the open window.

It was completely new, innovative and profound. We were drunk with happiness and bewilderment. I felt like crying. We didn't know then, but our musical world changed that night.

-Benny Golson

Citations

Group, M. English | For MediaNews. 2013.Mary Benjamin Recalls Days as Junior Hostess of the Stage Door Canteen.The Times Herald. November 9, 2013.

Inquirer, Patrick Glennon, For the. 2018. The Philly Venues Where Jazz Greats Found Their Sound | Philly History. Https://Www.inquirer.com. May 11, 2018.

Sources: Skitt, Laura. 2022. The Stage Door Canteen and Its Fight for Racial Equality during WW2. Forces Network. October 6, 2022.