Sugar Hill (club)

Sugar Hill, also known as Sugar Hill: Home of the Blues was a blues and jazz club in San Francisco's Broadway in the North Beach district of San Francisco, California.^[1] It was established by Barbara Dane,^[2] in May 1961,^[3] with the idea of creating a venue for the blues in a tourist district where a wider audience could hear it. There Dane performed regularly with her two most constant musical companions: on piano and cornet and Wellman Braud, former Ellington bassist. Among her guest artists were Jimmy Rushing, Mose Allison, Mama Yancey, Tampa Red, Lonnie Johnson, Big Mama Thornton, Lightnin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry.^[4]

Carmen McRae performed at the club in 1963, recording a live album there with pianist Norman Simmons, bassist and drummer . A Billboard review wrote of it: "Miss McRae sings up a storm, exhibiting not only her highly polished and formidable style but much warmth, humor and that little something extra that makes for an inspired performance".^[5]

Lonnie Johnson, who appeared at the club in early 1962, wrote a song, "Fine Booze and Heavy Dues", in honor of his appearance there. The song appears on his 1962 album Lonnie Johnson:Another Night To Cry.^[6]^[7]

References[]

^ Weissman, Dick (2005). Blues. Infobase Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8160-6975-0.
^ Porter, Lewis; DeVito, Chris; Wild, David (26 April 2013). The John Coltrane Reference. Routledge. p. 231. ISBN 1-135-11257-6.
^ O'Brien, Timothy J.; Ensminger, David (2 April 2013). Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins. University of Texas Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-292-75302-0.
^ Lee Hildebrand, liner notes "Brownie McGee, Live at the Sugar Hill"
^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 23 November 1963. p. 9. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Alger, Dean (2014). The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music: The Legendary Lonnie Johnson, Music, and Civil Rights. University of North Texas Press. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-5744-1546-9 – via Project MUSE.
^ "Another Night to Cry". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2016.

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[Weissman2005-1] Weissman, Dick (2005). Blues. Infobase Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8160-6975-0.

[PorterDeVito2013-2] Porter, Lewis; DeVito, Chris; Wild, David (26 April 2013). The John Coltrane Reference. Routledge. p. 231. ISBN 1-135-11257-6.

[O'BrienEnsminger2013-3] O'Brien, Timothy J.; Ensminger, David (2 April 2013). Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins. University of Texas Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-292-75302-0.

[4] Lee Hildebrand, liner notes "Brownie McGee, Live at the Sugar Hill"

[5] Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 23 November 1963. p. 9. ISSN 0006-2510.

[6] Alger, Dean (2014). The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music: The Legendary Lonnie Johnson, Music, and Civil Rights. University of North Texas Press. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-5744-1546-9 – via Project MUSE.

[7] "Another Night to Cry". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2016.

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