Bill Reinhardt

William (Bill) Julius Theodore Reinhardt (September 21, 1908 – January 23, 2001) was an American clarinetist, bandleader and the owner of Jazz, Ltd.—the first Jazz club run by a musician in Chicago and one of the longest running Dixieland jazz clubs in the country.

He also played tenor saxophone, French horn and sang.

Unlike many of the famous jazz musicians that Bill employed in his band, he did not seek fame; he was content with the great success of his nightclub.

Bill Reinhardt had a younger sister, Virginia (Ginny) Reinhardt, born 1912.

She married Chet Roble, a TV actor, musician and one time member of Bill Reinhardt's band.

In the 1920s Joe Marsala inspired Bill to play clarinet as his main instrument.

He played the French horn while attending Lake View High School in Chicago.

On weekend nights he followed Johnny Dodds at Kelly's Stables and Jimmy Noone at the El Rado Cafe (231 E. 55th Street in the Garfield Hotel) on the south side.

He attended the University of Illinois for a year.

There he met Miles Rinker, brother of a member of Paul Whiteman's The Rhythm Boys.

Miles got Bill into the college concert band, Louis Schwab and his Illini Orioles under bandmaster Austin Harding.

During summer vacation, Louis contacted King Richards and Bill took his first road trip to Wisconsin and Indiana.

Fred Dexter, a music scout and musician at the Wisconsin Roof Gardens club, heard Bill play and hired him for his band.

He played at a resort pavilion in Hudson Lake, Indiana.

Bill was impressed with Dexter's fast band, whose musicians went on to good things.

Dale McMickle, the trumpet player, was first trumpet with Glenn Miller.

Alex Palocsay, the trombone player, was with Fred Waring.

Bob White, the drummer, was with Freddy Martin for about twelve years.

Fred Dexter's band went on the road to Wisconsin, Illinois, and then Buffalo, New York, to play a Christmas season at a ballroom.

Bill Reinhardt was "flabbergasted" upon seeing the inside of his first nightclub: The Everglades with show girls, at 48th and Broadway streets in New York City early in 1928.

Walter Winchell and many celebrities frequented the club.

Benny Goodman heard Dexter's band play.

The band broke up in the fall of 1928 and Bill stopped playing the French horn.

He then went on a New England vaudeville tour with Freddie Rich.

Bill then worked for Paul Specht at a club on Broadway.

Upon returning to Chicago, he worked for Sol Wagner at The Frolics (18 East 22nd Street) from the spring of 1929 until the stock market crashed in the fall.

About this time Bill did a recording in an old Brunswick studio on South Wabash Avenue with Wingy Manone on trumpet, Jack Gardner on piano and Floyd Hinkley on saxophone.

He then played at a Chop Suey house near Evanston with Floyd Hinkley and Art Hodes playing piano.

In about 1931 Bill worked at The Farm roadhouse in Valhalla, New York.

He worked with Theo Kuriss, Ernie Harris, Sol Pace, Bob Cusumano and Harlow Atwood.

In the summer or fall of 1932 Bill worked with Bill Whelpley's band at The Log Cabin roadhouse in Armonk, New York.

The band members were: Bill Whelpley, George Blum, Ernie Harris, Bill King, Chubby Landis, Stewie Anderson and Harlow Atwood.

Bill learned jazz music first by studying it from age nine to 18 then by traveling extensively with various bands for 16 years until joining the Navy in 1942.

He heard and met many famous musicians and attended many popular nightclubs.

This provided him with the contacts and resources he needed to form his own band and establish his own nightclub.

However, by the 1960s his band did appear on two TV programs.

Bill was born on West Garfield Ave. on the south side of Chicago to William C. Reinhardt (a bartender and real estate salesman) and Viola Reinhardt, both of German descent.

He was introduced to jazz while living in an apartment building at 130 West 47th Street and he heard Jack Teagarden for the first time.

He also heard his first McKenzie-Condons and Bix Beiderbecke records.

Cass Hagan bought the band from Fred Dexter and Bill toured with them on college dates which included the Pelham Heath Inn in New York; it was run by the mob.