04/12/2022
THE CREATION OF THE JAZZ TEMPLE and A PROMISE KEPT
A lot of people seem to linger in adolescence, but not Winston Willis. He sailed right through his. When the average teenager’s world consisted of high school sports, hot rod cars, Prom dates, and Rock-N-Roll, Winston’s ever-growing entrepreneurial spirit led him elsewhere. His knowledge of the floor covering trade that he learned from his father secured several entry-level positions in two tile stores, and later, a key management positions. During his teen years, Winston was fully invested in becoming a successful businessman. And he was thoroughly enraptured with the philosophy of Marcus Garvey and embracing the entrepreneur activist’s unification and empowerment of Negroes. His experience and his reputation in the floor covering field soon led to the upper-level position that aligned him on a parallel track with fame and fortune. And amazingly, it was a chance meeting with his Jazz idol, Miles Davis, that was the impetus for Winston’s moving forward with his long-time dream of opening a jazz club. The serendipitous connection occurred in Detroit in the 1950s and continued for several years.
One day while in his office at the East side floor covering company, Winston received a call for an estimate on a potential carpet installation job in a large home in one of Detroit’s very affluent suburbs. Arriving at the large, opulent home and ringing the doorbell, he came face to face with one of his all-time-favorite music idols, Miles Davis, who was in residence at the home at the time. After several minutes of conversation about the installation job in question, Davis was very impressed with Winston’s knowledge and level of maturity, and the two men became friendly, venturing further in talking about Jazz. Sometime later, Winston told the famous trumpeter of his intentions to open a Jazz club someday. And after a few profanity-laden tips on the ins and outs of the music business, Davis’ response was: “You make it happen, and I’ll come.”
Winston held the position at the floor covering company for a couple of years, and his bosses were very fond of him. They even joined us in his family’s home for dinner on several occasions. But Winston was becoming restless, living at home and under his parents’ ironclad rules. He was already his own man, and with such promise he could have continued to establish a stronghold locally, but he instinctively knew that the success and kind of life he wanted lay outside the boundaries of Detroit. Setting his sights on Hollywood, where he would become a successful movie producer, the city of Cleveland was certainly not on his radar. But a quick detour suggested by his mother would forever change the trajectory of his life.
After operating several successful small businesses in nearby areas, Winston sensed that something was lacking in this upscale Western Reserve University college community. After making a careful assessment and determining what was needed and what would be likely to work, he decided that "high-quality jazz performances at a student-friendly and affordable price" was the answer. Then, quickly putting his idea into action, he secured a lease on a vacated building, a former Packard automobile showroom, and immediately began remodeling, with careful attention devoted to acoustics. During the remodeling of the building and the planning for the grand opening, a nationwide newspaper strike curtailed all print advertising possibilities. So, with his original plans interrupted, Winston purchased and refurbished a used UPS truck and turned the vehicle into a traveling billboard. His friend, local artist, Nelson Stevens, painted large, colorful “coming attraction” signs heralding the Jazz Temple’s approaching presence in the University Circle community. Shortly thereafter, the Jazz Temple opened to immediate and sensational success. Among numerous other Jazz legends who appeared at the club, Miles Davis kept his promise. Winston called him, and he came.
