PRESERVE OUR CULTURE
by Verne Fridie

(Mr Fridie, who knew the Savoy from its start to its finish, and grew up to actually play there as a professional musician, wrote this piece for an unknown NY publication in the 1960-70's to keep the memory of the ballroom alive. We are grateful to Max Lucas for giving us a copy of this article and honoured that his grand-daughter Cheryl has given permission for it to be republished.)

There was a place or landmark that is no longer with us today, "THE SAVOY," a ballroom that was affectionately called: The Home of Happy Feet or The Track (according to "Jet Magazine," October 16, 1958 and Harlem Negro Metropolis by Claude McKay); also, my knowledge of this bit of history, my having been on the scene at the time.

I resided or lived with my folks, Mom and Pop, on West 140th Street for many a year. On the Northeast corner of 140th Street and Lenox Avenue there was a lot that took up a full block from 140th Street to 141st Street, owned and operated by the General Outdoor Advertising Company. It was used to store signs and other material relating to their business. And being an inquisitive little person, as most small boys are, I played there also. After selling or leaving the storage site, work began with trucks rolling, concrete, sand and other work relating to construction. When all this activity ceased there emerged stores: A florist; a poolroom, operated by a man know by the name of Doggie; a store that sold candy and had a soda fountain, plus the usual wares sold by a store of that type. Upstairs over the stores, there merged a beautiful ballroom: The Savoy Ballroom.

The date was March 12, 1926; on or about that date there was a bazaar with clowns and food for all the young folks in the neighborhood. The Savoy was owned by Moe Gale, a Jew, and Charles Buchanan, a Black man who was married to Bessie Buchanan, who later became the only Black Assemblywoman that New York ever had up until that time. Charlie Buchanan was a very strict operator, business wise or otherwise. One thing that he was strict about was his demanding punctuality for all who were working or engaged by him. I remember one instance when Art Blakey's Big Band, the original Jazz Messengers, I was playing alto with them at the time, auditioned for Buchanan. The time was say 2pm, ten minutes to he walked out of office, "no waiting," he said, "let's go, you're supposed to be ready to hit," plus a lecture about the brother's fault of not being on time.

He also had little regard for musicians or other folks in the entertainment field. He employed a team of bouncers clad in black tuxedos and bow ties. They were more than capable of quelling any disturbance. They would move on a moments notice or signal. And could put out any person, big or otherwise. The bouncers were ex-Pugs, basketball players, etc., big and brutish. During World War II, when a lot of young men were on leave from the military service they frequented the Savoy. Some of them feeling strong, cocky, plus full of booze and other stimulants. When they misbehaved or something, they were chilled and promptly thrown down two flights of stairs. Waiting for them were MP's or police who stayed downstairs by the entrance most of the time, also the ambulance was waiting.

At the entrance at the ticket box, taking tickets, sat a big man, gold teeth shining, puffing on a big cigar. Big George he was called; who later owned a restaurant and night club having entertainment and serving good food. It was located in Corona out in Queens. There were many, many tales whispered about how he was able to acquire such a place by taking tickets.

There were many bands that played the Savoy. Two bands were featured there nightly on the two bandstands with matinees on Sundays. Thursdays night were special nights for chicks who worked in the service. Thursday night being the night off for many of them, kitchen machanics, as they were called.

Some weeks there would be the Chick Web Orchestra on one stand with Taft Jordan on trumpet and Louise Jordan, plus others. On the other bandstand might be the Savoy Sultans, and jumping groups featuring Rudy Williams on alto and Razz Mitchell on drums. Some of the other band that appeared there were Fess Williams, Erskine Hawkins, Chris Columbus, Buddy Johnson and Cecil Scott. I worked or played with Cecil Scott at the Savoy; also in the band was a fine alto player, Howard Johnson, who also played with Dizzy for a time. There were many battles of Jazz. For example Benny Goodman and Chick Webb. Benny would come up from downtown and the Savoy would be filled with whites or 'ofays' as they were called then. Crowds were in the streets and mounted police for crowd control outside the Savoy. In fact they came there in droves all the time to dig the latest dance steps and copy down some of the swinging music. The 'lindy hop' was created there and was featured by 'Whitey', a Black Dude, and his Lindy Hoppers. Incidentally, they won every year the Daily News Harvest Moon Ball that was held downtown. Prizes and sometimes stage contracts were awarded to the winners that excelled in the Foxtrot, Waltz, Jitterbug and other dances.

On the opposite corner of 140th Stret and Lenox lived an old boyhood friend of mine, Charlie Shavers, the late noted trumpet player. Charlie's father owned a barber shop near by. His dad, Lucius, and my father played music in the Elks Band and 369th Regiment Band. Mr. L. Shavers played cornet and my father played clarinet. That is how Charlie and I started. Charlie first played the banjo while my dad taught me the clarinet, bless him. There was music all around then. And all the bands played the Savoy: Lucky Millinder, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Don Redmond, Count Basie, Jay McShann with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band you name it.

While living in the 140th Street block, I would sneak in the Savoy many times with my boyhood friends, but was very careful to watch out for the bouncers. Sometimes, we were allowed to come in free for various reasons. On that same corner, in the candy store, I met Russell Procope who was played alto and clarinet upstairs with Teddy Hill at the time and he introduced me to the sax. My father having refused to help me get one because I stopped practising clarinet for a while. Well there are many wonderful stories that can be told about Harlem at that time and the Savoy. The Savoy closed in July 1958. There is the Savoy Manor in the Bronx on 149th Street that opened sometimes later, a nice place but no resemblance to the original SAVOY!