Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization that honors jazz, blues and gospel musicians in the state of Oklahoma. Housed in the former Tulsa Union Depot, which it now calls the Jazz Depot,^[1] the Hall of Fame is a music venue that hosts regular jazz performances. It is also a museum, displaying photographs, biographical information, artifacts, and memorabilia from musicians such as Chet Baker, Earl Bostic, Don Cherry, Charlie Christian, Tommy Crook, Pat Kelley, Barney Kessel and Jimmy Rushing.^[2]

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

Founded	1988
Founder	Senator Maxine Horner, Co-Founder Senator Penny Williams, Co-Founder
Type	501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization
Location	5 S Boston Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
Website	okjazz.org

Headquarters of the Hall of Fame, the Tulsa Union Depot

Overview

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame holds an annual induction ceremony to recognize the meaningful contributions of individuals and groups in jazz, blues, and gospel music. The Hall of Fame originally inducted its members every June,^[3] but the annual induction is now held in November.^[4] To date, the Hall of Fame has inducted more than 100 musicians and groups.^[5] Music instructor Zelia N. Breaux was the first inductee into the Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame also established the Jay McShann Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 to honor musicians who enriched Oklahoma's music during their lifetimes. Recipients of this award include Jay McShann, John Hendricks, Lou Donaldson, Dave Brubeck, Marilyn Maye, Ramsey Lewis, Nat King Cole, George Duke, Billy Taylor, Eddie Palmieri, Bob Wills, and Lalo Schifrin.

In 1991, guitarist Barney Kessel made a speech about improvised music at the Hall of Fame; this was his last recorded public appearance before a stroke forced him to retire in May 1992.^[6] Singer Joe Lee Wilson also made his last public performance at his 2010 induction into the Hall of Fame.^[7]

History

The Tulsa Union Depot remained empty for nearly twenty years before being renovated and re-purposed for public use.

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame was established by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1988, with legislation authored by State Senators Maxine Horner and Penny Williams. The Hall of Fame was one of several organizations created in the North Tulsa “renaissance” dedicated to reconstructing the city's historic Greenwood district after the Tulsa Race Riot.^[8] The organization was originally housed in the Greenwood Cultural Center, and co-sponsored a yearly celebration of Oklahoman black music tradition called “Juneteenth on Greenwood.”^[9]

In 2004, Tulsa County’s Vision 2025 project allocated $4 million to purchase and renovate the Tulsa Union Depot for use by the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.^[10] Work on the building was completed and the building officially opened on June 19, 2007.^[11]

In November, 2020, The Tulsa County Industrial Authority (TCIA) filed a lawsuit to terminate the building lease with the Jazz Hall and to recover $8,474 in past-due taxes and utilities.^[12] The suit alleged that the Jazz Hall was so far behind in its utility payments that electricity to the building was turned off on October 19th.^[12] In January 2021 the Jazz Hall declared bankruptcy.^[12] On June 10, 2021, the bankruptcy court approved a $200,000 sale of the Jazz Hall, along with transfer of the lease of the Depot, to a new non-profit entity, The Jazz Foundation LLC, being a firm established by local businessman James Moore.^[13] The bid included a pledge of $1 million for deferred maintenance and other improvements, along with $1 million available for operating expenses and to satisfy future obligations under the lease with TCIA.^[13] Stated future Jazz Hall plans call for continued celebration of jazz and gospel artists in Oklahoma, expanding to host music festivals and live TV events, and creating a rooftop restaurant.^[13]

By July 2022, renovations had begun on the facility, with an expected reopening in early 2023 under branding as simply the Jazz Depot.^[14] The Jazz Foundation funded $2 million in renovation updates for the second-floor Grand Entrance Hall, Exhibit Promenade and Performance Hall.^[14]

List of inductees

Name	Instrument	Year inducted
Marvin Ash	Strings	2013
Andrea Baker	Vocal, Education	2005
Chet Baker	Trumpet, Vocal	1991
Helen Baylor	Vocal	2000
Samuel Aaron Bell	Bass	1992
Wayne Bennett	Guitar, Vocal	2001
Joseph Bias	Vocal	2006
Elvin Bishop	Guitar, Vocal	1998
Earl Bostic	Saxophone	1993
Zelia N. Breaux	Education	1989
David Amram	F Horn	2011
Ruth Brown	Vocal	1992
Albert Brumley	Vocal	2013
Glenn Burleigh	Piano	2001
Charles Burton	Guitar, Vocal	2001
Barbara Burton	Vocal	2001
Don Byas	Saxophone	1997
J.J. Cale	Guitar	2013
Debbie Campbell	Vocal	2006
Don Cherry	Trumpet	2011
Charlie Christian	Guitar	1989
Willie Earl Clark	Saxophone, Education	2002
Tommy Crook	Guitar	2004
Pam Van Dyke Crosby	Vocal	2008
Joey Crutcher	Piano	1991
Jesse Ed Davis	Guitar	2002
Elmer L. Davis	Vocal	1993
Rae Degeer	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone	2014
Al Dennie	Education	1990
George Dennie	Pianist	2012
Ernestine Dillard	Vocal	1998
Clarence Dixon	Vocal	1998
Thomas A. Dorsey	Piano	1994
Ken Downing	Saxophone	1999
Duke Ellington	Piano	1992
Dorothy Ellis	Vocal	2011
Ralph Ellison	Musician	2014
George Faison	Dance	1998
Ernie Fields Jr.	Saxophone	1996
Ernie Fields Sr.	Trombone	1989
Fisk Jubilee Singers	Vocal	2012
Ella Fitzgerald	Vocal	1997
Artt Frank	Drums	2010
Lowell Fulson	Guitar, Vocal	1989
Chuck Gardner	Piano	2013
Dizzy Gillespie	Trumpet	1993
Earl Grant	Piano, Vocal	2013
Sonny Gray	Piano, Education	2001
Wardell Gray	Tenor Saxophone	2014
Jimmy Hawkins	Vocal	2004
John David Henry	Guitar	2001
Conrad Herwig	Trombone	2007
Billy Hunt	Trumpet	1996
Mahalia Jackson	Vocal	1995
Pat Kelley	Guitar	2003
Barney Kessel	Guitar	1991
Kenneth Kilgore	Vocal	1992
Joe Liggins	Piano	1992
Jimmy Liggins	Guitar	1993
Clarence Love	Saxophone	1990
Madeline Manning-Mims	Vocal	2005
Frank Mantooth	Piano	2004
Junior Markham	Harmonica	2006
Tony Mathews	Guitar	1997
Bill Maxwell	Drums	2008
Cecil McBee	Bass	1991
Matthew McClarty	Vocal	1997
Howard McGhee	Trumpet	2003
Robbie Mack McLerran	Bass	2014
Jay McShann	Piano	1989
Roy Milton	Vocal, Drums	1991
D.C. Minner	Guitar, Vocal	1999
Leona Mitchell	Vocal	2007
Melvin Moore	Trumpet	1996
Patricia Moore	Piano	1999
Ace Moreland Jr.	Guitar, Harmonica, Vocal	2007
Sunny Murray	Drums	2012
Jimmy Nolen	Guitar	1996
Carlton Pearson	Vocal	2002
Jim Pepper	Saxophone	2011
Oscar Pettiford	Bass, Cello	1995
Sara Jordan Powell	Vocal	2003
Cortes Rex	Vocal	2014
Johnny Rogers	Guitar	1995
Annie Ross	Vocal	2014
Ray D. Rowe	Vocal	2008
Marshal Royal	Saxophone	1995
Washington Rucker	Drums	1998
James Rushing	Vocal, Piano	1990
Pee Wee Russell	Clarinet	2011
Donald Ryan	Piano, Education	2006
Jessie Mae Renfro Sapp	Vocal	1989
Rudy Scott	Piano, Harmonica	2011
Lynn Seaton	Bass, Education	2006
Shadow Lake Eight	Band	2013
Lee Shaw	Piano	1993
Leslie Sheffield	Piano	2003
Hal Singer	Saxophone	1996
C.C. Skinner	Vocal	1990
David Skinner	Guitar	2005
Maurice Spears	Trombone, Education	2004
Louie Spears	Bass, Education	2004
Kay Starr	Vocal	2000
Ted Taylor	Vocal	2000
Flash Terry	Guitar, Vocal	1994
Oklahoma City Blue Devils	Big Band	1990
Walter "Foots" Thomas	Saxophone	1996
Wayman Tisdale	Bass	2009
Glenn R. Townsend	Guitar	2004
David T. Walker	Guitar	1999
Hart A. Wand	Fiddle	2012
Maxine Weldon	Vocal	1999
Lee Wiley	Vocal	2000
Floyd Wiley	Organ	1994
Stephen Wiley	Drums	2009
Steve Wilkerson	Saxophone, Education	2005
Claude Williams	Violin	1989
Wallis Willis	Vocal	2010
Joe Lee Wilson	Vocal	2010
Terry Woodson	Trombone, Education	2010
Joe William Wright	Drums	2012

See also

• Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
• List of music museums

References

1. "Facility Rental". Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
2. Danilov, Victor J. ‘’Hall of Fame Museums: A Reference Guide.’’ Greenwood, 1997, p.180
3. Johnson, Hannibal B. ‘’Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.’’ Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, 1998, p.130
4. BRANDY MCDONNELL. "David Amram will receive Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame's Lifetime Achievement Award". News OK. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
5. "Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame". Okjazz.org. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
6. Yanow, Scott. ‘’Jazz On Film: The Complete Story of the Musicians and Music Onscreen.’’ Backbeat, 2004, p.22
7. "Obituaries". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
8. "H-Net Reviews". H-net.org. March 2002. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
9. State Arts Council of Oklahoma. ‘’Juneteenth on Greenwood: A Celebration of Oklahoma’s Black Music Traditions.’’ State Arts Council of Oklahoma, 1989, p.2
10. "Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
11. "Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
12. "Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame files for bankruptcy; eviction, lawsuit on hold". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
13. "Bankruptcy court OKs Jazz Hall sale to Tulsan's firm: 'The only game in town'". Tulsa World, June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
14. "Jazz Depot renovations draw on art deco heritage". James D. Watts Jr., Tulsa World, July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

External links

• Facebook page

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