Stars Who Appeared At The Club In the 1930's, 40's, and 50's, all the great stars of jazz who came to town stopped in at the Colored Musicians Club to jam with their friends and local musicians. Stars who played at the club include: Dizzy Gillespie Duke Ellington Billie Holliday Count Basie Ella Fitzgerald Sonny Stitt Gene Ammons Albert Ammons Lena Horne Art Blakey James Moody Stuff Smith Also Appearing at the CMC Bill McBirnie Bill McBirnie is one of Canada's premier jazz flutists and writes for Canadian Music Magazine. He was named Jazz Flutist of the Year by Jazz Report and was the winner in the National Flute Association's (NFA) Jazz Flute Master Class Competition which was held in August, 2003 at the NFA's annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has recorded with Memo Acevedo, Junior Mance and has several solo CD's. "I remember going to the Colored Musicians Club as a kid a bunch of times. My father, John, was a serious jazz freak and he used to bring all of the family from Port Colborne to Buffalo regularly to hear jazz. I remember well going to the Colored Musicians Club. Dad would organize the four kids (Jim, Rod, Gaelagh and myself) and we would all proceed from the car to the club. Once inside, everyone was very friendly...and, of course, it was very groovy and very happening musically. My Dad was a pretty hip guy and he was very genuine and really got along well with people including musicians (even though he knew nothing about music technically). All the folks knew him well from the Royal Arms, because he went there pretty well every week. In fact, I'm not sure who extended the invitation to us to go to the Colored Musicians Club in the first place. I know my brother, Jim, used to take piano lessons from Johnny Gibson (who played at that chicken wing place, the Anchor Bar?, with that bassist, Jimmy Legat? for years) Anyway, Johnny Gibson was also likely a member of the Colored Musicians Club and he may have been my Dad's connection to the room." Richard Tabnik Richard Tabnik is an alto sax player who teaches in New York and records on the New Artist Label. He lived in Buffalo 1975-79 and played with the Buffalo Jazz ensemble under the direction of Al Tinney, and often played at the club.