Lorraine Gordon – The Village Vanguard

Lorraine Gordon is the owner of the greatest jazz club in the world, The Village Vanguard. A fierce 80-something, Gordon has been involved with jazz since the age of bebop and is credited with getting Thelonious Monk some of his first gigs. Her first marriage was to the founder of Blue Note Records, Alfred Lion, the second to Max Gordon, owner of the Vanguard. The Vanguard opened in 1935 and is the most famous and important institution in jazz. It’s where many of jazz’s most important live recordings have been made.

Original Air Date: 2/1/07