Klooks Kleek
Encyclopedia
Klooks Kleek was a jazz/R&B
club in the 1960s, based in The Railway Hotel, West Hampstead
, North West London, next to the Decca Records
studio. The club was named after a 1956 album by Kenny Clarke
(Klook Clique, Savoy Records
12006).
in January 1961: every Wednesday Jazz
was played. The large number of new rhythm and blues
and blues
groups, caused him to hold a rhythm and blues night every Tuesday. The club had no special equipment and even lacked a stage. The club belonged to the "blues circuit", a group of London venues that gave British blues bands performing opportunities (The Flamingo, 100 Club, The Crawdaddy and others). These bands included Zoot Money's Big Roll Band
, Chris Farlowe
and the Thunderbirds, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
, Herbie Goins and the Nightimers, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
. John Mayall
recorded his debut album John Mayall Plays John Mayall
there on 7 December 1964 as did The Graham Bond Organisation and Zoot Money
. In November 1966 Cream
recorded a live session there that has been released only unofficially. In April 1965 T-Bone Walker
played the club Many other notable bands, such as Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin
, played there in later years.
The club closed in December 1970 but later reopened under the nameMoonlightClub.
British rhythm and blues
British rhythm and blues developed as a major musical movement in the early 1960s in London and other urban centres in the UK as predominately young white male musicians attempted to emulate the style and recordings of African American rhythm and blues artists...
club in the 1960s, based in The Railway Hotel, West Hampstead
West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and South Hampstead to the south. Until the late 19th century, the locale was a small village called West End...
, North West London, next to the Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
studio. The club was named after a 1956 album by Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke , born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook" and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming...
(Klook Clique, Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
12006).
History
Dick Jordan opened his jazz clubJazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
in January 1961: every Wednesday Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
was played. The large number of new rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
groups, caused him to hold a rhythm and blues night every Tuesday. The club had no special equipment and even lacked a stage. The club belonged to the "blues circuit", a group of London venues that gave British blues bands performing opportunities (The Flamingo, 100 Club, The Crawdaddy and others). These bands included Zoot Money's Big Roll Band
Zoot Money's Big Roll Band
Zoot Money's Big Roll Band was a British rhythm and blues, soul and jazz group formed in England in early autumn 1961.-History:An early line-up had Zoot Money as vocalist and Al Kirtley on piano but in the band's best-known form Money himself played Hammond organ. Bassist/vocalist Paul Williams...
, Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe is an English rock, blues and soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time", which rose to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966, and his association with Colosseum and the Thunderbirds.Outside his music career, Farlowe collects war memorabilia.-Career:Inspired by Lonnie...
and the Thunderbirds, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a noted British rhythm and blues/soul/jazz/ska/pop group of the 1960s. They had been the backing band for Billy Fury but, after being dismissed at the end of 1961, their pianist Georgie Fame took over as vocalist and they went on to enjoy great...
, Herbie Goins and the Nightimers, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band were an English based soul band, active from 1965 to 1968.-Career:The Ram Jam Band were formed around 1964 and evolved out of a group called Les Blues who were formed to rival an English group with a Black American singer called Milton And The Continentals...
and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers were a 1960s British rhythm and blues, soul and beat group who had two Top 10 hits with "One Way Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life" ....
. John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
recorded his debut album John Mayall Plays John Mayall
John Mayall Plays John Mayall
John Mayall plays John Mayall is the debut album by John Mayall. This album was recorded live at Klooks Kleek on the 7th December 1964.-Track listing:# "Crawling Up a Hill" - 2:21# "I Wanna Teach You Everything" - 3:05# "When I'm Gone" - 3:08...
there on 7 December 1964 as did The Graham Bond Organisation and Zoot Money
Zoot Money
George Bruno Money, known as Zoot Money is a British vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band...
. In November 1966 Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
recorded a live session there that has been released only unofficially. In April 1965 T-Bone Walker
T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was a critically acclaimed American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound. He is the first musician recorded playing blues with the...
played the club Many other notable bands, such as Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, played there in later years.
The club closed in December 1970 but later reopened under the nameMoonlightClub.
Recordings
- The Graham Bond Organization - Live at Klooks Kleek (recorded 1964, released much later)
- John Mayall Plays John MayallJohn Mayall Plays John MayallJohn Mayall plays John Mayall is the debut album by John Mayall. This album was recorded live at Klooks Kleek on the 7th December 1964.-Track listing:# "Crawling Up a Hill" - 2:21# "I Wanna Teach You Everything" - 3:05# "When I'm Gone" - 3:08...
(1965) - Zoot Money's Big Roll Band - Zoot! Live at Klooks Kleek (1966)
- Cream - Klooks Kleek '66 (1966)
- Ten Years AfterTen Years AfterTen Years After is an English blues-rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, Ten Years After scored eight Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart...
- Undead (May 1968)