El capitan club

El Capitan Club was a dance hall and nightclub that provided some of the best live jazz performances in Kansas City. Since the 1930s onwards, El Capitan Club became part of the local thriving jazz scene in the 18th and Vine District, near other notable clubs such as the Subway Club and Sunset Club. When the club first appeared on the scene it was Kansas City’s Golden Age of jazz. Back when Tom Pentergast ran the city (1925-1938) nightlife was vibrant. Jazz clubs were especially important. These joints offered African Americans a unique and liberating experience even in a time of segregation and discrimination. They provided live jazz music, dance halls, bars, and afforded the musicians artistic expression. In many ways, jazz music was more than just entertainment, it was an avenue to speak politically and freely, in a time when African Americans could not. In Kansas City there were a number of African American jazz clubs clustered around 12th Street and Cherry and the historic 18th and Vine district[1]. Of all the clubs from this era, El Capitan would be one of the longest going, continuing to play shows until the 1990’s[2]. The venue was a favorite of Charlie Parker, a local jazz legend. Parker made a legendary two week stand at El Capitan in 1952. The stand was so popular he was asked to extend his stay for two more weeks[3].

When Kansas City’s jazz scene became more overshadowed by New York City’s in the 1980s, many jazz clubs shut down El Capitan Club, however, remained open becoming one of the few that continued on well into the 1990s.  El Capitan Club’s longevity is a marker of their success and shows the significance they played in the Kansas City jazz scene. In 1997, El Capitan Club was demolished to build the American Jazz Museum. Despite the fact that the site is no longer standing, its legacy continues on.

[1] Cathy Sala, 18th and Vine Historical District (Kansas City: National Register of Historical Places, 1991), 22-24.

[2] William Robbins, Kansas City Serenades Jazz Heritage (New York: The New York Times, 1985), 14.

[3] C. J. Janovy, Kansas City's Charlie Parker History Tour Requires A Guide - And Imagination (Kansas City: KCUR-NPR).

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Trevor Bokern, student at the University of Missouri Kansas City as part of Dr. Sandra Enriquez’s Urban History Class.

The El Capitan Club site is now home to the Blue Room, part of the American Jazz Museum.