It's true. 52nd Street was falling apart by 1950-51, as a club district. They had to have someplace to go. And besides, speakeasies were almost always in warehouses and apartments, no matter how good the club scene was.
That's the crazy thing about jazz. You can look to the recording sessions and say, "The albums where this guy or that guy played live in a club is even better," but then think about the fact that NO ONE captured these giants in apartments or other speakeasies.
We will always be left to wonder what Buddy Bolden sounded like. Sigh...
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