LEGACY OF THE HISTORIC CRAWFORD GRILL #2 - Part 2

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

The Crawford Grill Experience

In its prime the Crawford Grill was the crown jewel of the Hill district because it always featured
the hottest talent in town. Not only was it a major jazz club for local musicians it became a
school where new jazz neophytes could learn from and play with the best musicians in the
business.  White musicians that played downtown would go to "The Grill" after their gigs to
jam into the night with black musicians.

Whether you were on the bandstand or in a booth, the Crawford Grill was the place to be and to
be seen. Providing a diversified cosmopolitan atmosphere, “The Crawford Grill was a meeting
spot for people of all colors that loved jazz. The music became a common language, and at that
time in American history, it was the only common ground for people of different races.” (5) The
local people brought life, color and personality to the place with a zest you could not find in other
venues. Tourists came from all over the world to get the “Crawford Grill Experience” and it was
commonly acknowledged by tourists that it was like crossing over into another dimension.
You weren’t considered to be “hip” if you had never visited the Crawford Grill. In fact it was said
that if you lived in Pittsburgh and had never taken advantage of the Crawford Grill Experience,
you were “culturally deprived.” Many white patrons who had frequented the Grill regularly as
college students have avoided the Hill District due to a neurotic fear-complex developed after the
3 days of civil disturbance that took place in the black communities in the wake of the
assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Although most of them have not returned to
the Grill since 1968, their children have ventured there in increasing numbers and have been
surprised to discover the friendliest and most charming atmosphere of any club they have ever
visited. One young white couple remarked that they had never been to a night club before where
people hugged you at the door.

Both the famous and the grassroots patrons have equally shared the joy of life, great music and
food in the booths at the Crawford Grill #2. Playwright August Wilson spent a great deal of time
in these booths writing, taking notes and hanging out with his fellow poets, Rob Penny, Nick
Flournoy and Chawley Williams. The booths in the Grill also cradled world class artists such as
Carl “Dingbat” Smith, Wilber Teamor, Thadeus Mosely, Jorge Myers and Earl “Mobutu” Reynolds
whose art works were purchased by owner William “Buzzy” Robinson and displayed there for
patrons to enjoy.

Roberto Clemente had his own special stool at the bar, John Henry Johnson could be found there
almost every night, Willie Stargell, Frenchy Fuqua, Manny Sanguillen and others paraded through
the Grill almost like it was a runway of the stars. If Max Roach or J. J. Johnson were performing
there, you might look up and see Miles Davis sitting at the bar. If you attended a major show at
Syria Mosque, for example, you would plan an exit strategy toward the end of the show so that
you could beat the crown to the parking lot and get up to the Grill and grab a booth before the
majority of others got there. There would be a line outside the Grill 30 minutes later and almost a
guarantee that the featured performer from the Mosque would soon show up.

To the musicians who played there and the regular patrons, the Crawford Grill was known in the
vernacular as “the Crib,” a “spirit house” in the African sense where the ancestors hovered,
inspired, admonished and protected all who were there. Within its walls all felt like family…
strangers and old friends alike were greeted with hugs. Its indigenous charm was transformative
and if your heart wasn’t right, it was apparent to everyone in the room. The rich the poor, the
famous and the unknown, the elderly and the young, the aspirant and the venerated each found
common ground in the Grill. It was a first day event in its prime for such icons as Frank Sinatra,
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Jimmy Carter as well as numerous world famous
athletes, entertainer and celebrities.

When traveling musicians came home to visit, they always went to the Grill where they would
meet their homies, catch up on the news, reminisce about experiences, tell stories and jam
together. If there was anyone new on the scene, the best networking in town for musicians was
the Crawford Grill. You never knew whom you would meet but it was a bet it would be worth it to
find out.

The term “Jazz Mecca” is quite apropos for the Crawford Grill. Musicians from all over the world would be sure to make a pilgrimage to the Grill when they were in Pittsburgh. The Crawford Grill
Experience was always a first day event whether you had ever played there or whether you had
only learned about it from its reputation. It was the recognized ‘Spirit house’ where the vibrations
of the ancestors who had been and legends that had been made there could be absorbed almost
tangibly.

There was no problem if you were hungry because the kitchen was open until closing at 2 – 3 AM
depending on the time of year. You could order from a limited but unique menu of soul food and
desserts. The fried chicken was sumptuous and tender made from the largest chickens you
could imagine. There were prawns, pork chops and steak that could be combined with sides of
rice, mashed potatoes or fries, collard or turnip greens, green beans, black-eyed peas, lima or
navy bean soup, and you always left some room for sweet potato, coconut cream or apple pie. 

The social atmosphere was also freewheeling and spontaneous. Each of the staff had unique personalities that were a vital part of the entertainment. If you visited there regularly you became
a local celebrity as a “Grill person,” a hail fellow greeted by the staff on every visit by a “Hey,
Baby!” By analogy it was like a sophisticated “Cheers” for jazz lovers and musicians. 

One thing you never heard at the Grill was someone complaining that the music was too loud. People came there for the music and the camaraderie of fellow music lovers. The performance
atmosphere was always interactive more like in a Baptist church and the crowd noise was
accepted as part of the music. If something poignant or tender was being played it would be
more likely for a boisterous patron to be told to quiet down out of respect for the music being
enjoyed. 

Mentorship and fellowship were found at the Crawford Grill by many generations of musicians. It is generally recognized that musicians who are trained through a tradition of mentorship tend to
move further toward establishing their own identities as innovators than those merely trained in
methodology. There is no greater tribute for a mentor than to see his student excel beyond his
own mastership and no greater thrill for an adept to be able to play on equal footing with a
mentor.

The Renovation and Reopening Plans are being made to renovate the historic Crawford Grill into a green and smart building in order to take the Crawford Grill Experience into the world market. The reopening is targeted for 2012.


<c>Researched and written by Nelson E. Harrison, Ph. D. All photographs are from the Timeslice Archive and are copyrighted by Nelson E. Harrison.
All Rights Reserved under Article 1 constitution of the United States and 1-207 U.C.C</c>