Southland (jazz venue)

Southland was a ballroom/cafe on Warrenton Street in Boston, in the United States, in what is now the Charles Playhouse. Originally a church,^[1] converted into a club, is best known for featuring prominent jazz artists of the 1930s and 1940s such as Count Basie (most associated with the club),^[2] Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Jimmie Lunceford, and many others.^[3] Southland was connected to the radio and it became a notable venue for broadcasting jazz over the radio in the 1940s. On 19 February 1940, Count Basie and his Orchestra opened a four-week engagement at Southland which was broadcast on 20 February.^[4] Southland's entertainment also featured dancers such as Rubberlegs Williams,^[3] who also sang with Basie on numerous occasions.

Today the building is occupied by the Charles Playhouse, which opened in 1957.