Bourbon Street was opened in 1971 by Doug Cole, also the owner of George's Spaghetti House.
(meta data) TITLE: Doug Cole, founder of Toronto's first jazz club, has died | The Star (meta data) AUTHOR: Patty Winsa (meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/torontostar Subscribe now for complete, progressive coverage of local, national and global news. Subscribe Now Subscribe Now 1st month for 99¢ + tax Subscribe Now Subscribe Now 1st month for 99¢ + tax This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com # Doug Cole, founder of Toronto's first jazz club, has died By Patty WinsaStaff ReporterSun., June 17, 2012timer3 min. read Doug Cole, the founder of Toronto's jazz scene in the '50s, has died just days before he was to receive the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal in honour of his contributions. "He just couldn't hang on," said his son, Ken Cole, from Huntsville, where he had just finished a round of golf on Sunday in honour of his dad. The two had a tradition of playing the game on Father's Day. "We hoped he would last until Monday or Tuesday and my brother and sister and I could bring (the medal) back and give it to him. But it wasn't to be," said Ken. "We will bring it home and place it with his Order of Canada." Doug Cole died June 15 in a Huntsville hospice. Cole founded Toronto's first jazz club, George's Spaghetti House, at Dundas and Sherbourne Sts. in 1956 at a time when jazz wasn't that popular in the city. "When we first started, the club was so empty Doug would have his own private concerts," remembers drummer Archie Alleyne, 80. But "he loved his jazz and he loved his local musicians." There wasn't even enough money at the beginning to change the name of the club from George's to Doug's, says veteran jazz musician Jim Galloway, who played there in the '70s and '80s. "That's what the name was before (Doug) took it over and he couldn't afford a new sign," said Galloway. The venue eventually took off, attracting some of the best jazz musicians in the country, including trumpet player Guido Basso, drummer Jerry Fuller, guitarist Ed Bickert and Don Thompson, who played numerous instruments. Legendary producer and saxophonist Moe Koffman began booking acts for the club and stayed as the musical director for 25 years. #### YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... "All those players are considered world class and they honed their craft in Doug's clubs," said Ken. His father, a former Toronto police officer, fell in love with the music after hearing a version of the jazz standard "Body and Soul." Doug went on to open Castle George on the second floor of the jazz venue. The club had a happy hour when locals came to dance. It also attracted a number of Toronto Maple Leafs, including Eddie Shack and Bobbie Baun, who would come to share a meal or beer with Doug. "Doug was very well-respected. He was a wonderful man, a kind man," said Alleyne, an Order of Canada recipient who still performs once a month at The Pilot in Yorkville. "I don't think I ever heard him say a nasty word or get angry." Doug opened two more clubs, Bourbon Street and Basin Street, on the first and second floor of a building on Queen St. W. International jazz superstars such as pianist Bill Evans, the Marsalis family and saxophonist Stan Getz all appeared. "Doug was a complicated, charismatic man who was, in his day, a mover and a shaker," said Ken. "He could really organize and put together venues and events. The whole jazz movement in Toronto and Canada was formed around his clubs." #### YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... The crowds also began to fill with famous faces, including Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Isaac Hayes, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart and Howard Hughes. "It took on a life of its own," said Ken, who watched his father's business unfold from the kitchen where he first worked as a dishwasher. "That was a tough thing. Jazz is not a popular music form, but it became very popular." The Basin Street venue also took on award-winning plays such as Salome Bey's Indigo. "A lot of his honours have been for fathering and fostering that Canadian aspect of it," said Ken. Get more of today's top stories in your inboxSign up for the Star's Morning Headlines newsletter for a briefing of the day's big news. Sign Up Now His father sold the clubs in the mid-80s and spent winters in Costa Rica and summers in Port Sydney. The family hopes to organize a celebration of Doug's life at the Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar on Queen St. W. in the future. Report an errorJournalistic StandardsAbout The Star ### More from The Star & Partners
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