Clarence Baker Passes Away

As was noted in Detroit's papers and on its television stations, Clarence Baker passed away September 28 at 93 years of age. He spent over fifty years running Baker's Keyboard Lounge and was responsible for making it a nationally known jazz club. Baker's competes with the Village Vanguard in New York for the title of the world's oldest jazz club. Baker bought and sold the management rights to the club several times from 1963 on, but in 1996 he finally handed over the keys to Detroit's number one jazz spot to John Colbert. His devotion to the music will be sorely missed.