The Rossonian Lounge, the legendary Five Points jazz club where Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis once performed during the neighborhood's heyday as the "Harlem of the West," has reopened after a meticulous three-year restoration — and it sounds as good as ever.
The $4.2 million restoration, led by the Five Points Business District and funded through a combination of historic preservation tax credits, the Denver Office of Economic Development, and a dedicated campaign by the Rossonian Restoration Fund, preserved the building's 1912 facade while completely modernizing the interior acoustics, stage, and sound system.
"Every decision we made started with one question: 'Would this honour the legacy of the artists who played here?'" says project lead Adrienne Washington, a Five Points native and historic preservation architect. "The answer had to be yes, or we went back to the drawing board."
The restored venue seats 120 — intimate enough to maintain the close-quarters energy that made the original Rossonian famous. The stage, rebuilt with reclaimed hardwood from the original floor, sits just three feet from the front row. A new state-of-the-art sound system was designed by the same firm that engineered Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.
Opening night featured a sold-out performance by Denver-born trumpeter Ron Miles's quintet, followed by a set from vocalist Hazel Miller. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston were among the 120 guests. Tears were common.
The Rossonian's programming will feature local and national jazz acts Thursday through Sunday, with Monday nights reserved for an open jam session — a tradition dating back to the club's original era. Wednesday evenings will host a "Young Lions" series spotlighting jazz students from the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music and Metropolitan State University.
"Five Points built Denver's soul," says Washington, standing beneath a gallery wall of historic photographs showing the club in its 1950s prime. "The Rossonian is where that soul sang. Now it sings again."