Jazz Alley
Title
Jazz Alley
Subject
Set up like a bazaar with paintings, crocheting, handmade art
50th and Langley
Description
Starting back in the 1950s, the Alley was a sprawling weekly party in Bronzeville where people of all ages came together to hang out, exchange ideas, spin jazz records, and perform. Flanked by murals and photographs, the jazz happenings lasted for nearly 30 years until the host was forced to close them down. Its spirit persists today, however: iterations of the Alley—including Back Alley Jazz, held in July 2018—have moved into new spaces on the south side.
Source
"Jazz Alley, 50th and Langley, Chicago; Project Activities, Chicago, Illinois.” The Library of Congress, July 10, 1977. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc1981004.100/.
Moore, Anne Elizabeth. “Alley Cats: Exhibit Highlights History of Bronzeville’s Weekly Jazz Party.” Chicago Reader, November 12, 2018. https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/alley-cats-exhibit-highlights-history-of-bronzevilles-weekly-jazz-party/.
Date
1950/1980
Contributor
Jenna Pollack
Identifier
Jazz Alley
Coverage
Social Culture
Location
Public Spaces & Retail/Fashion
Files
Citation
“Jazz Alley,” Chicago Black Social Culture Map, accessed February 16, 2026, https://cbscmap.omeka.net/items/show/361.