Take A Look At The Jazz Legacy Of South Central LA

Jazz was in its heyday in the 1930s and '40s when nightclubs like Club Alabam abounded on Central Avenue. The nearby Dunbar Hotel was a legend in its own right. When Black jazz greats of the era, like Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, came to town, racially restrictive covenants and segregation limited where they could stay. The Dunbar quickly became a mecca for Black performers. Over the years, South Central L.A. became the heart of the jazz scene on the West Coast.

MORE ON LA'S BLACK JAZZ SCENE

• The Dunbar Hotel Was Once The Heart Of Black Los Angeles
• Club Alabam Was The Center Of LA's Jazz Scene In The 1930s and '40s
• The Extraordinary Leon Hefflin And His Groundbreaking Cavalcade of Jazz
• Historic Dunbar Hotel That Once Hosted W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes And Billie Holiday Gets Revamped

MORE OF OUR RACE IN LA SERIES COVERAGE

• The 8%: Exploring The Inextricable Ties Between L.A. And Its Black Residents
• Racism 101: Facilitating Deeper Conversations On Race
• Racism 101 on Take Two: How to Be an Ally, Code Switching for Survival, Deconstructing 'Defund the Police', Legacy of Slavery
• Race In LA: How Does Your Race Or Ethnicity Shape Your Life?

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate Now.