All That Jazz

In the “Roaring Twenties,” Seattle was full of speakeasies, roadhouses, and jazz music. When the Depression hit the city in 1931, musicians still found work in small clubs. Jackson Street provided a world of rich street life in a racially diverse atmosphere. By the 1940s, Jackson Street was lined with nightclubs, many located further east, from 5th Ave S all the way to 14th. Numerous jazz musicians started their careers by playing in these clubs. Seattle later became a hub for the rock scene with Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and grunge in the 1990s. Many of these musicians performed in clubs throughout Pioneer Square.