The Finale Club
PROJECT COORDINATOR: MIYA IWATAKI
LOCATED: 230 1/2 East First Street, Los Angeles
During WWII, forced removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans into concentration camps and turned the thriving Little Tokyo community into a shuttered ghost town. For African Americans migrating to the West Coast seeking wartime jobs, Little Tokyo was one area without discriminatory housing covenants. They moved in, opened businesses, and Little Tokyo became known as “Bronzeville:”
All night “Breakfast Clubs” sprung up in Bronzeville, patronized by jazz musicians and late night jazz aficionados. Among them was the Finale Club at 230 ½ E. First Street. In 1946, this confluence of music, race, and politics led to an historic performance at The Finale Club. Two jazz greats – sax virtuoso Charlie Parker and trumpeter extraordinaire Miles Davis – played at the Finale when Little Tokyo was Bronzeville and while the Japanese American community was imprisoned due to unfounded war hysteria.
In recognition of the important historic circumstances of exclusion and discrimination shared by the Japanese American and African American communities which led to the unique creation of Little Tokyo/Bronzeville; and to memorialize and educate music lovers about the rare performance of jazz greats Charlie Parker and Miles Davis at the Finale Club; the Little Tokyo Historical Society won approval from the Mayor and LA City Council to install an Historical Monument sign in front of the current property at 230 ½ East First Street, Little Tokyo.
LTHS invites you to experience the rich artistic and musical history of Little Tokyo during the Bronzeville Era in a celebration of music, Bronzeville scholars, photos and videos.