By Vicki Staveacre/marblehead@wickedlocal.com
The room was packed, and the audience waited patiently as the musicians assembled, first the keyboard player, followed by drums, bass and saxophonist. Then the emcee announced, “Good afternoon and welcome to a very unique venue, Jazz at Devereux House. Now I’d like to introduce you to the leader of the band, a lady at the top of the jazz world, Grace Kelly.”
As the diminutive 19-year-old Korean saxophonist took center stage to play "The Way You Look Tonight," the emcee, none other than the North Shore’s legendary impresario Lennie Sogoloff, led the applause.
And so began another of the fortnightly music gigs at Devereux House where residents and selected family and friends get to hear from the many jazz greats, musicians and bands that Sogoloff still stays in touch with.
Sogoloff’s extraordinary contribution to the music world, particularly while he was running the renowned jazz venue called Lennie’s on the Turnpike, was recognized by the Berklee College of Music at the end of last month when the college gave him an award, accepted by his daughter Karen, for being an entrepreneur and jazz legend. The citation read:
“For your many contributions to the advancement of international understanding, good will and education, the Berklee College of Music recognizes Lennie Sogoloff, entrepreneur and jazz legend.”
A resident of Devereux House for the past two years, Sogoloff has always lived on the North Shore and moved to Marblehead after his marriage to his late wife, Barbara. Their three children, Karen, Leanne and Adam, all went to school here, and Adam still lives in town with his wife.
Sogoloff started his music career as a sales representative for Mercury Records, whose roster of artists included Frankie Laine and Patti Page. At that time, the company owned the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, famous as the home of Gilbert & Sullivan, and the London Symphony Orchestra. When Sogoloff and a partner opened the club, he thought he could do both jobs and get a second income.
“But it was like Charlie Chaplin’s set in the gold rush,” he joked.
Sogoloff quickly realized that he needed to go to the club and work there full-time, which he did, after an amicable parting with Mercury.
Although he grew up in the Big Band Era of Count Basie and Glenn Miller, Sogoloff always loved jazz. So, once he started working the club from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m., the club “adopted my personality,” he said.
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