Photography by Get Fokus’d Productions © 2022

The Colored Musicians Club is the only continuously running, all-Black-owned music venue in the United States.

Your support is important for The Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum to sustain its programs, events, and other opportunities.

Purchase a membership or make a tax-deductible donation today.


The $2.95 million renovation and expansion of The Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum is now underway!

Under plans by Stieglitz Snyder Architecture and execution from Kanaka Construction Management, the expansion will add over 2,000 square feet of space to the existing building.

The addition will provide a new handicapped-accessible main entrance that includes a reception and lobby area, and an elevator. The second floor will feature a prominently projecting glass-walled flexible rehearsal and event space with two practice rooms and a lobby that connects to the existing building via an enclosed bridge. The existing building will continue to house the museum on the first floor and the club/bar/stage on the second floor.

Become A Member

Members get exclusive access to discounts, events, and more.

To continue the operation of The Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum, membership is important and helps us sustain the operation of the club and its programs. Whether you are an avid fan of jazz and its history, a musician, or just like listening to music in an intimate setting, the CMC is the place to be. If you are interested in African-American history, music history, or the history of Western New York, you can be part of a long tradition that’s unique to Buffalo.

There are many ways to become a member of the Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum. Different levels of membership are available for both individuals and companies.

See our memberships page for more details. Become an Individual, Professional, Family, Associate, Contributor, or Sustainer member today.

Our History

Designated as a historical landmark and a historical preservation site, the history of The Colored Musicians Club is one of triumph over adversity, pride in African-American heritage, excellence in performance, and inclusiveness.

It is the only continuously running, all-Black-owned music venue in the United States.

Musicians’ Local 533 was formed in 1917 during a time when African Americans were not permitted to join the White union. The following year, members formed a social club, which was chartered in 1935. Any Black musicians who wanted to perform in the area had to pay a fee to the union, whose offices were located on the first floor of the club. Local 533 was the most fiscally responsible, socially progressive Black union in the country. Union President Raymond Jackson’s stellar managerial skills took him across America as a consultant to other Black Musicians’ Unions.

The club was incorporated in 1935, utilizing the second floor for performances, practice, and rehearsals. World-renowned musicians like Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie mingled with the audience. Here—color was not an issue… jazz was.

In 1969, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Local 533 was ordered to merge with the White union. But the newly integrated union favored its White members. Fortunately, the Colored Musicians Club was a separate entity from Local 533, so it offered Black artists performance opportunities. It became a place for musicians of all colors to gather after their gigs to jam. Here hope triumphed over hate. Inclusivity and diversity reigned. The CMC brought people of all races together and inspired a new generation of musicians.

The club’s museum, designed by Hadley Exhibits in 2018, provides an interactive experience for visitors of all ages. A multimedia archive tells the story of jazz legends who performed there. Teenagers mix their own music. With the press of a button, young aspiring artists make a musical instrument play.

If its walls could talk, the Colored Musicians Club would speak of the power of jazz to bring all races together, the determination to overcome adversity, and the invaluable contributions of African Americans to our culture—especially in Buffalo, New York.

Introducing The Colored Musicians Club…

We are dedicated to the history of jazz in Buffalo, jazz preservation, education, and music instruction for our community.

 

Queen City Jazz Festival photography by Jack Zuff © 2023.



The Museum

The Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum is closed for renovations (including the museum portion) beginning on June 15, 2023. Tours of the Jazz Museum will be available soon.

Contact us for more information at (716) 855-9383.

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