In NYC, another gathering spot was Mikell’s, 760 Columbus Avenue on the corner of 97th Street, run by Mike and Pat Mikell from 1969-1991. It was a favorite stop for musicians and impromptu jam sessions were a regular occurence. It was said that Mikell’s had a style that “mixed blues, gospel and soul with urban sophistication”.
Mike’s name was actually Harold Craig Mikell. He grew up in Hartford, CT and worked in restaurants as a chef and manager but would visit NYC’s jazz clubs regularly. When he moved to NY, he managed Terry’s Pub before taking over the lease with his wife Pat and renaming it Mikell’s. That one name became synonymous with great music and it was the place to be. Who’d you see there? Tag a friend and tell them to share a memory.James Baldwin’s brother David was the bartender so in addition to musicians, the club drew authors Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka and Maya Angelou. An instrumental group of studio musicians called Stuff played at Mikell’s three nights a week from 1974-1980, and singers like Stevie Wonder and Joe Cocker would show up to sing with them. As a matter of fact, a teenage Whitney Houston made her solo debut at Mikell’s after performing regularly there with her mother, Cissy Houston. One night, Cissy told Whitney that she was too ill to perform and Whitney would have to sing a set herself but it was a ploy to give Whitney her start. Clive Davis later discovered Whitney during a Mikell’s engagement, signed her to Arista and the rest is history!
In 2004, @vivianscottchew and @raychewlive produced a tribute concert at Symphony Space which reunited many of the club’s performers.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation that praised Mikell’s for “providing a stage for the world’s most talented and ingenious poets, musicians and artists.” Well said. So, what do you remember?
Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation that praised Mikell’s for “providing a stage for the world’s most talented and ingenious poets, musicians and artists.” Well said. So, what do you remember?#livinglegendsfoundation #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackMusic365 #BlackNightclubs #mikells #PatMikell
