If asked to comment about Beverly’s long and storied history, you might mention Reverend John Hale’s connection to the Salem witchcraft trials, the Revolutionary War naval battle between the Hannah and the Nautilus, or even the establishment of the United Machinery Shoe Corporation in 1903. But if the propulsive, syncopated, improvisational rhythms of jazz don’t come to mind, we’ve got some interesting history to share with you.
Samuel and Rose Berman’s opening of the Spic n Span Café on Rantoul Street in 1932 (relocated to Cabot Street in 1939) set in motion an important, but often overlooked, legacy of Beverly’s history—Jazz! Becoming a live jazz club in 1933, the year prohibition ended, the establishment played host to some of jazz’s most well-known names including Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Buddy Rich Chet Baker, and Muddy Waters. In 1975, the Berman’s son, Sandy, re-branded the operation as “Sandy’s Jazz Revival,” which endured until the business finally closed in 1986, and the building torn down in 1996.
To honor the legacy of Sandy’s Jazz Revival, join us for Voila Violin! Jazz and Wine at the Cabot House, as violinist Justin Ouellet and guitarist Justin Piper pair jazz standards with wine in this artistically creative program guaranteed to be the cat’s meow!
Sponsored by Institution for Savings
21+ only
$35/ $25 members of Historic Beverly and Card to Culture