BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups
By Landon Cole
Photos by Landon Cole
I parked on Broadway and walked into BB’s this Wednesday night, relieved to escape the characteristically cold Missouri winter. Immediately, I was greeted by a wall plastered an inch thick with flyers promoting St. Louis blues and jazz bands. The bar was riddled with regulars there to take in the music, and framed, autographed photos of blues and jazz legends eavesdropped on the patrons’ idle chit-chat. I asked the bartender if the owner was in, and she pointed out a man at a crowded table wearing a black beret and a white beard. I walked over to him, I introduced myself and asked if he had the time for an interview about the history of the old club. He grinned from ear to ear.
John May, partner and unofficial chief historian of BB’s Jazz, Blues ...