-- by Kim Davenport On November 19, 1941, the multi-talented Paul Robeson made his first concert appearance in Tacoma. Although it was his powerful baritone voice that was featured in this particular event, Robeson was famous for a wide variety of talents. As only the third African-American student to be admitted to Rutgers University, in... Continue Reading →
-- by Kim Davenport In a career now spanning four decades, Tacoma native Diane Schuur has shared with audiences worldwide her love of American jazz. The grammy winner known for her "pitch-perfect execution and crystalline, three-and-a-half-octave vocal range" has collaborated on stage and in recordings with a wide range of prominent musicians from a variety... Continue Reading →
The Lincoln Bowl famously played host to a concert by Elvis Presley in 1957. As UW Tacoma student Emily Charbonneau discovered, however, this was not the only time the venue hosted concerts. Although the Bowl is primarily utilized today for sporting events, it has in its long history served a variety of roles for the surrounding... Continue Reading →
First, listen: This song was the inspiration for UW Tacoma student Pearl Lee's research into Tacoma's Japanese Language School and the community which it served. With the building no longer standing, and the song only alive in the memory of students who attended the school many decades ago, it was a haunting but inspiring beginning... Continue Reading →
Armed with a story from Michael Sullivan about railroads, prohibition and jazz in Tacoma and Seattle, UW Tacoma student Robb Todd dove head first into his research project for the 'Musical History of Tacoma' class, making several interesting discoveries along the way. Quoting from Todd's paper: "For Tacoma, there existed three catalysts that propelled Tacoma... Continue Reading →
Several students taking the 'Musical History of Tacoma' course at UW Tacoma were intrigued to research the story of "Red" Kelly, an illustrious jazz bassist who settled in Tacoma in his later years and managed, with his wife Donna, a restaurant and jazz club at the corner of 11th and Tacoma Avenue. Kelly's extensive collection... Continue Reading →
UW Tacoma student Rachel Wilkinson pursued research into Bill Engelhart and the Bluenotes, one of Tacoma's earliest rock-n-roll bands. Her research resulted in two fantastic artifacts which we're happy to share here: Research paper: Little Bill and the Bluenotes: Tacoma's First Rock Band Multimedia presentation: Little Bill and the Bluenotes: The Life and Times of Bill... Continue Reading →
UW Tacoma student Marissa Edwards chose to explore the Tacoma rock band 'The Fabulous Wailers' for her research project in the Musical History of Tacoma course. Learn more by reading Marissa's research paper, or exploring her very informative PowerPoint slides!
Ted Brown Music now resides on Tacoma Mall Boulevard, but prior to moving to that new facility, the family-run business was located in the heart of downtown for several decades. UW Tacoma student Ashley Sowle explored some of the company's history as her final project for the Musical History of Tacoma class at UW Tacoma.... Continue Reading →
UW Tacoma student Tracie Huynh explored The Ventures, known as 'the band that launched a thousand bands', as her final project for the Musical History of Tacoma class at UW Tacoma. To learn more about this important Tacoma band, read Tracie's research paper, or check out her multimedia presentation!
Tacoma Music History 