Jazz, Ltd.

Jazz, Ltd.
At Jazz, Ltd. club November 1947 Left to Right: Bill Reinhardt, Danny Alvin, Sidney Bechet, Mel Grant, Munn Ware
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Dixieland jazz
Years active	1947 (1947)–1978 (1978)
Labels	Jazz Ltd, Atlantic, Regal, Old Swing-Master, Delmark

Jazz, Ltd. was a Dixieland jazz band, nightclub and a record label in Chicago. The band was active from June 1947 to April 1978 and was managed by Bill Reinhardt. The nightclub was active from June 1947 to February 1972 and was managed by his wife, Ruth Reinhardt. Bill and Ruth co-owned the nightclub. For 31 years Jazz, Ltd renewed public interest in Dixieland jazz music—when swing music, then Bebop, then rock and roll were the dominant styles. It was the first jazz club owned by a musician in Chicago. It provided a steady job to many jazz musicians at a time when they needed one. Bill and Ruth Reinhardt estimated that over 700 musicians played at Jazz Ltd. Some were pioneers of Dixieland jazz. By hiring the best jazz musicians in the country, forbidding singing and dancing (which incurred a 20% war excise tax that put many jazz bands out of business), refusing business with the mob and playing only Dixieland jazz music, Jazz, Ltd became one of the longest-running jazz clubs in the country.

Sidney Bechet,Baby Dodds,Edmond Hall,George Brunies,Jack Teagarden,Muggsy Spanier, Clancy Hayes, Les Beigel, Lil Armstrong, Art Hodes, Don Ewell, Barrett Deems, Albert Nicholas, Miff Mole, Pete Fountain, Big Sid Catlett, Bill Johnson, Big Chief Russell Moore and many others.