Black Bottom Nightclub New Location
Dublin Core
Title
Black Bottom Nightclub New Location
Subject
Black Bottom Nightclub
Description
Charles Burke's club had to move due to the construction of the Bonaventure Expressway. As he noted, “most cities in America and Canada, when they built these freeways, the rich people said, don’t come near my property with no outlet. So they went down to the ghetto, and all the outlets ended up in the ghetto.”
Burke relocated the club to Old Montreal, turning a potentially devastating setback into an opportunity. By moving strategically, he preserved the club’s operations and even expanded its influence, demonstrating resilience in the face of systemic pressures.
When a university offered to bring Woody Herman’s 18-piece band, Burke initially worried about the cost: “Man, I can’t afford Woody — 18 pieces.” But the university agreed to take the door and he could handle the bar, allowing the performance to happen. “Well bring them in… here come 18 pieces, man. I said, wow.” This adaptability allowed the club to host major acts that would have been impossible otherwise.
Later, he secured a ten-day engagement with Miles Davis for $10,000 per night, a remarkable achievement that would have seemed impossible under the economic and social pressures faced by Black-owned businesses at the time.
Through strategic relocation, community support, and inventive solutions to financial and logistical challenges, Burke’s club overcame forces that could have destroyed it.
Burke relocated the club to Old Montreal, turning a potentially devastating setback into an opportunity. By moving strategically, he preserved the club’s operations and even expanded its influence, demonstrating resilience in the face of systemic pressures.
When a university offered to bring Woody Herman’s 18-piece band, Burke initially worried about the cost: “Man, I can’t afford Woody — 18 pieces.” But the university agreed to take the door and he could handle the bar, allowing the performance to happen. “Well bring them in… here come 18 pieces, man. I said, wow.” This adaptability allowed the club to host major acts that would have been impossible otherwise.
Later, he secured a ten-day engagement with Miles Davis for $10,000 per night, a remarkable achievement that would have seemed impossible under the economic and social pressures faced by Black-owned businesses at the time.
Through strategic relocation, community support, and inventive solutions to financial and logistical challenges, Burke’s club overcame forces that could have destroyed it.
Creator
The Gazette
Source
The Black Bottom reopening in Old Montreal location, February 1968, Charles Burke Collection, The Gazette
Publisher
The Gazette
Date
February 1968
Contributor
The Gazette
Rights
The Gazette
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Newspaper
Files
Citation
The Gazette , “Black Bottom Nightclub New Location,” Black Canadian History Exhibit, accessed December 5, 2025, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/mathieu-black-canadian-history-exhibit/items/show/398.