Site of the original Green Pastures Jazz Club

For nearly a century, the Green Pastures Jazz Club was an Elmira institution. Founded in the 1930s and in operation until 2011, Green Pastures was one of the most popular jazz venues in upstate New York. The club was located in Elmira's east side, which was primarily an African American enclave, but the club welcomed all music lovers, regardless of race. And although Elmira might be off the beaten path for entertainers, it was also a popular spot for well-known performers. Green Pastures also served as a tourist home for African American travelers during the 1950s and was listed in the Green Book. The club was eventually relocated to Madison, but in 2017, the Chemung County Historical Society placed a historic marker at the corner of Dickinson and East 5th Streets, the site of the original Green Pastures.

Green Pastures Jazz Club opened in 1932, when Beatrice Johnson, her husband, Richard, and her brother, Edward, started a restaurant at the corner of Dickinson and Fifth. The neighborhood had an array of thriving small businesses and the location was known, at the time, as the Hollywood and Vine of Elmira. The club offered meals, generally soul food, and was one of a few places in the city with live music. By the 1940s and 1950s, Green Pastures boasted a five-piece orchestra, an emcee, and singers. In the 1930s, a young boy named Howard Coleman lived across the street from Green Pastures and would often come over and help Ms. Bea. By the time he was in his teens, Coleman had helped in virtually every aspect of running the club.

In its heyday, Green Pastures had live music six nights a week. It may seem like an unusual spot for some of the biggest names in jazz to perform, but many of them stopped in Elmira on the way to New York City, and used the small club as a way to polish their performances before playing in the bigger venues in the city. Among the many legendary musicians who performed at Green Pastures were Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Heath and many others. The club closed at 1 in the morning, making it a popular choice for musicians who didn't want to be on stage until the wee hours of morning.

Green Pastures was unique in being a Black-owned club. In fact, it was reportedly the only Black-owned jazz club in western New York and Pennsylvania. Much of its clientele was African American as well, although the east side neighborhood where it was located was an ethnically diverse community and the club was popular among all races. In the 1950s, Green Pastures was listed in the New York Green Book (a guide that provided travelers with a listing of establishments that catered to African Americans). Elmira had had no entries in the Green Book for several years, but in 1953, Green Pastures appeared in the book as a "tourist home." Little is known about the club's role as a safe haven for travelers.

Howard Coleman eventually became the manager of Green Pastures, then the owner. In 1971, the club moved to 723 Madison Avenue, and the original building was demolished as part of an urban renewal project in Elmira. Coleman continued operating the club at that location until 2011, when it closed. Coleman died the following year. In 2017, the Chemung County Historical Society placed a historic marker at Dickinson and Fifth, the site of the original Green Pastures.

Coleman, Jr., Howard C. Atkins, Christine E. Come as a Stranger, Leave as a Friend: A Brief History of Green Pastures. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform , 2014.

Profile: Green Pastures Jazz Club , Southern Finger Lakes Tradition . Accessed February 6th 2022. https://sflxtraditions.org/cultural-mapping/green-pastures/.

Murray, Jeff. Legendary Elmira Jazz Club Recognized for its History , Star Gazette. August 30th 2017. Accessed February 6th 2022. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/2017/08/30/legendary-elmira-jazz-club-recognized-its-history/615819001/.

A Safe Place in Elmira: A Tale of Travel in Age of Racism , Geneaology and Local History at the Steele Memorial Library in Elmira NY. March 11th 2021. Accessed February 6th 2022. https://genealogylibraryelmira.wordpress.com/2021/03/11/the-safe-place-in-elmira-a-tale-of-travel-in-an-age-of-racism/.