6. The Upstairs Lounge - 2629 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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Before the Downstairs Lounge opened and established itself as a popular stop for touring bands, the smaller Upstairs Lounge was a beloved jazz room. Owner Jim Britt tended to book talent that was either on the way up or on the way down! Here, Gregg A. Smith talks about his experiences playing in the house band here, Marlon McClain of Pleasure fondly remembers playing for packed houses, and Norman Sylvester describes the Sunday jam session scene.
Photo: Billy Larkin & The Delegates Live at the Cotton Club, Courtesy of Paul Knauls
