Ball and Chain (restaurant)

History

The venue opened in 1935 on Calle Ocho in Miami. It was later renamed the Ball and Chain Club. The venue was one of the most popular in Miami during the Depression era. Paula Echevarria wrote of the original establishment that, “With an interesting 25-year run, filled with bootleggers, gamblers and outlawed felons as owners, it wound up being one of the only locales that would allow African-American jazz and blues musicians,” in the city of Miami. Black performers were snuck into the club through a passage from the neighboring hotel despite segregationist laws.

In the 1950s the club was sold to Henry Schechtman and Ray Miller. Musicians that played at the spot in early days included Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Duke Ellington. The Gene Krupa trio began their national tour at the venue in 1956, and the Chet Baker played at the club with his Baker Quintet in 1957. The bar closed in 1957 after Count Basie sued the ownership for outstanding fees.

Reopening

The venue reopened on September 18, 2014, with new owners Bill Fuller, and brothers Zack and Ben Bush. The original roof was retained, and a new interior was designed to reflect the environment that existed during the club’s first run. In addition to music, the place also has a kitchen that prepares Cuban tapas dishes and a bar that serves both international and Cuban drinks. The venue has two stages, with one generally showing jazz-based music and the other salsa. The club also provides dance lessons. In January 2016 the club began broadcasting a live jazz radio program on WDNA in Miami called Jazz: Live at The Ball & Chain. The program is played monthly on the station and features the live performances played on the Ball & Chain stage.