Louis Metcalf Back At Cafe St-Michel

Louis Metcalf Back At Cafe St-Michel

Cafe St-Michel

Louis Metcalf returned to one of Montreal’s most iconic jazz venues, reconnecting with a stage where he first helped bring be-bop to the city. Just opposite Rockhead’s Paradise stood the Café Saint-Michel, a cornerstone of Montreal nightlife during the 1940s and 1950s. Located at 770 de la Montagne Street, it was often compared to New York’s famous Cotton Club and hosted legendary performances by musicians who shaped the city’s jazz scene. It was here that Metcalf, a former trumpeter with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, performed alongside rising stars such as Oscar Peterson, Charlie Biddle, and, a few years later, Oliver Jones.

Musician Herb Johnson recalled the energy of the era: “I played in practically every club in the city of Montreal since I came here in 1935, and I tell you — you knew you were in show biz when you were working at Rockhead’s Paradise or the Café St-Michel. It was like transporting yourself to Harlem.”

The Gazette

“Louis Metcalf Back At Café St. Michel,” The Gazette, May 24, 1950, 8 https://www.newspapers.com

The Gazette

May 24, 1950

The Gazette

The Gazette

Newspaper

Newspaper