Louis Armstrong and Grandpa Bob: Culver City 1920's

Adapted from our family history  http://bobeffros.blogspot.com/   

My grandfather Bob Effros:  Big Band, "swing era" jazz trumpeter was born in London, England. The family immigrated to the United States and settled in Memphis, Tennessee. Grandpa left home at an early age and to work and perform music on the Mississippi River Boats.   By 1921 he was performing with Orchestras of Vincent Lopez , Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman in NY and CA.

In 1980 he visited Los Angeles and had to visit Culver City.   He showed me The Culver Hotel (where he stayed in the early 1920's).  Grandpa's tour continued to find a former location for Frank Sebastion's "Cotton Club"on Washington Blvd: where   Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Grandpa Bob and countless jazz greats performed during the 1920's and 30's.  Stories of Fatty Arbuckle's  Plantation Cafe  are abundant with stardom, music, mystery and crime stories.
 
Culver City is known as the "Heart of ScreenLand".  Our town was also a swinging "hot"  music location.Washington Blvd competed with Sunset Blvd for housing the coolest jazz clubs and performers of the day.

(1) For more on Culver City Entertainment History read " Culver City Chronicles" by author/historian Julie Lugo Cerra.

(2) Mayme Clayton Library and Museum Archives, Culver City, CA

(3) http://bobeffros.blogspot.com/ Jonathan Schwartz & Barbara Effros, Authors