Ball and Chain (restaurant)

Ball and Chain
Restaurant information
Established 1935
Previous owner(s) Henry Schechtman and Ray Miller
City Miami
State Florida
Website www.ballandchainmiami.com

Ball and Chain is a restaurant, bar, and live music venue located in Miami, Florida.

History

The venue opened in 1935[1][2] on Calle Ocho in Miami.[3] It was later renamed the Ball and Chain Club. The venue was one of the most popular in Miami during the Depression era.[4] Paula Echevarria wrote of the original establishment that, “With an interesting 25-year run, filled with bootleggers, gamblers and outlawed felons as owners, it wound up being one of the only locales that would allow African-American jazz and blues musicians,” in the city of Miami.[5] Black performers were snuck into the club through a passage from the neighboring hotel despite segregationist laws.[4]

In the 1950s the club was sold to Henry Schechtman and Ray Miller.[4] Musicians that played at the spot in early days included Billie Holiday, Count Basie,[6] Louis Armstrong,[7] Nat King Cole,[5] and Duke Ellington.[8] The Gene Krupa trio began their national tour at the venue in 1956,[9] and the Chet Baker played at the club with his Baker Quintet in 1957. The bar closed in 1957 after Count Basie sued the ownership for outstanding fees.[10]

Reopening

The venue reopened on September 18, 2014.[11] The original roof was retained, however new construction was done to the interior.[2] The new interior was designed to reflect the environment that existed during the club’s first run.[3] In addition to music, the place is also has a kitchen that prepares Cuban dishes and a bar that serves both international and Cuban drinks.[5] The venue has two stages, with one generally showing jazz-based music and the other salsa.[12] The club also provides dance lessons.[13] In January 2016 the club began broadcasting a live jazz radio program on WDNA in Miami called Jazz: Live at The Ball & Chain.[14] The program is played monthly on the station and features the live performances played on the Ball & Chain stage.[15]

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Two Miami-Dade landmarks close or evolve; another reopens | Miami Herald". miamiherald.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  2. 1 2 "What's Old is New Again: Iconic and World Famous Ball & Chain Reopens in Miami after 50 Years". luxurytravelmagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  3. 1 2 "Little Havana's Ball & Chain: "Our Goal Is to Make It Authentic" | Miami New Times". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  4. 1 2 3 "Little Havana's Ball & Chain Club Brings a Colorful History as It Plans to Reopen | Miami New Times". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  5. 1 2 3 "Now Open Ball & Chain in Little Havana | Tasting Table Miami". tastingtable.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  6. ↑ "Ball & Chain's Cuban Spring Roll Is a Rollercoaster of Flavor | Miami New Times". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  7. ↑ "The Coolest Miami Residents". oceandrive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  8. ↑ "Miami: The Four-Day Weekend - MensJournal.com". mensjournal.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  9. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 22. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  10. ↑ LaFaro-Fernandez, H. (2009). Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro. University of North Texas Press. p. 59. ISBN 9781574412734. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  11. ↑ "Ball & Chain Opens Today: Pastelito Daiquiris and Jazz on Calle Ocho | Miami New Times". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  12. ↑ "CNNGo in Miami: From Italian gardens to Little Havana - CNN.com". cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  13. ↑ "Audrina Patridge takes a ‘1st Look’ at Miami | Miami Herald". miamiherald.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  14. ↑ "Ball & Chain debuts live jazz broadcast on WDNA". Miami.com.
  15. ↑ "Jazz: Live at the Ball & Chain". Miami New Times.
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