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Prohibition, rail porters and the city’s reputation as a “sin city” all played a role in making Montreal a place where every jazz musician wanted to play — and where homegrown musicians thrived.
Prohibition, rail porters and the city’s reputation as a ‘sin city’ all played a role
For CBC Creator Network, Arizona O’Neill looks at how Prohibition, rail porters and Montreal’s reputation as a ‘sin city’ all combined to make the city where jazz musicians wanted to play.
For decades, Montreal was the place to be for jazz. And the city still hosts the world’s largest jazz festival.
But how did that happen?
It started during the Prohibition era of the 1920s, when swing was the most popular form of music and alcohol was freely flowing in the city.
Little Burgundy, at the time known by many as the St. Antoine District, became home to clubs where musicians were encouraged to come and jam after performing downtown.
It made the city a favourite stop for some of the biggest names in the heyday of jazz, and created an environment for homegrown talent to thrive.
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The Creator Network, which works with emerging visual storytellers to bring their stories to CBC platforms, produced the piece. If you have an idea for the Creator Network, you can send your pitch here.
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