Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

My brother told me that many important Jazz and Blues musicians recorded in Hackensack. Rudy Van Gelder's Blue Note Records was in Hackensack somewhere.  Does anyone know where? 

"On The Corner" (c) Copyright 2002
A Derivative from the notes of Joe Campagna (c) 1987. Used by Permission.

By

On The Corner of Prospect Avenue where now is at 25 Prospect Avenue stood the remains of what was a California Style Stucco Home converted into a recording studio by a man who is the subject of or contained in many books about Jazz, Sound Engineering and Acoustics. Rudy Van Gelder moved his studio to Englewood Cliffs where today he continues what many believe to be the fundamental methods of recording session jazz.


The following paragraph only describes the night life support which sprung from speak-easys and post-prohibition. That is what had Hackensack Bopping with live cabarets and attracted live Jazz Artists to many an enthusiastic and "buzzing" crowd. Black or White each section of town had their spots and the payola did fly.
In its hayday Hackensack in the late 1930's and 40's had evolved a very cool (quiet) and little known tradition which was born of a plating factory in South Hackensack set up by a Chicago salesman. It had a very special vat and condenser cover. One of the biggest stills made whiskey and a Irish/Scotsman made it age (or taste that way) and it was even better than what you might get from Scotland. 150 Proof! It was such a secret that the locals didn't even know about it. It was sold in New York, Chicago, L.A.  But Hackensack had its own bathtub industry usually operating out of grocery stores. Some drug stores also sold the raw materials and mixing flavors. These were fronts operated by the Black Hands (Sicilian Mafia). It was often a franchise you couldn't refuse. Eventually the Tax Stamps were put on a ne Federal system of keeping America stupid and Main Street became slurred buzz word for Hackensack for some Yet for some it was the intellectual Beat for the Music Nicks.
The last remaining places to fold in name were the State Cafe on Main Street and Leons.

You have to understand that in those days Hackensack was an extremely racist town. Prone to racial beatings by police and occasionally white men especially police looking for a cheap thrill. Hey! truth is truth.   There were those, who differed.People who loved the music could not deal with the racism. Music is from where we all come from. God is where it's from and He ain't a racist!

But all in all there were those who crossed racial barriers and jumped high wall and sounded out high notes. Rudy Van Gelder made possible many things that had secondary effects worldwide. And it was all positive.

Probably the most intellectual of the crowds were the musicians. You asked who played in Hackensack. Here is a few: Thelonius Monk; John Coltrane; Miles Davis; Horace Silver; Dizzy Gilespie; Charlie Parker;

Well, I dont want to do the work for the County Seat...et them buy their won LP's and mess it up for themselves.  - Jazz