2011 Club

2011 15th St., NW

Located in the basement of the Dunbar Hotel.

Room capacity about 250 (some sources say 300).

The room was launched and relaunched over the years. First mention of jazz is 1951, when manager was Harry Warwick. Performances seem to have been sporadic. “Gimmick behind the operation is that room will stay shuttered if an attraction isn’t available. It will open again whenever something can be bought.” (Billboard 1/13/51 p.42)

Another extended jazz policy began in 1957. It was possibly during this period that Grassella Oliphant was manager and part-owner of the club. (WP 2/18/71 p.C12)

In 1963 it was renamed the Caravana, “specializing in Latin music, which now means, of course, the bossa nova.” (db 1/3/63 p.44) This did not seem to last long, as the 2011 Club name was reintroduced: “fallow for many a year, shows signs of coming to life again” (WP 9/24/65 p.D12)

Artists

• George Shearing (1951)
• Louis Jordan (1951)
• Nat King Cole (1951)
• Ruth Brown (1951)
• Oscar Pettiford (1957)
• Hampton Hawes (1957)
• Kenny Burrell (1957)
• Charles Mingus (1957)
• Phineas Newborn (1957)
• Sonny Stitt (1957)
• Jimmy Smith (1957)
• Art Blakey (1957)
• Horace Silver (1957)
• Slam Stewart (1957)
• Beryl Booker (1957)
• Dick Williams (1958)
• Damita Jo (1965)
• Arthur Prysock (1965)
• Irene Reid (1965)
• Rick Henderson (1965)
• Al Hibbler (1965)
• Doc Bagby (1965)

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