All That Jazz

During the mid-twentieth century, southwest Ohio was alive with jazz. During this period, cities like Dayton and Cincinnati were booming with nightclubs and music venues. In the 1960s, the jazz craze came to a halt as rock and rolled dominated popular culture. Although jazz was still a beloved genre, people began to gravitate towards the new and upcoming.

During the 1970s, jazz made a comeback to the Gem City. Daytonian, Jerry Gillotti, bought the Wedgewood Inn on Patterson where he began to book local jazz performers. According to many sources, he had an ear for great talent and often gave a chance to up and coming artists; many of which reached national fame. 

In 1972, Gillotti leased a building exclusively to start his jazz club, which was located on 810 N. Main St., a mile from Third and Main, formerly known as the Green Derby nightclub. This new establishment was known as Gilly’s, a name that would become a city tradition. At the time it attracted artists such as the three-time Grammy award winner, Bill Evans Trio, and the hottest jazz group in the country in the early 60s, Young-Holt Unlimited. For many, Gilly’s brought pure musical talent to the Miami Valley.

By the late 70s, Gilly’s became a staple to Dayton’s nightlife. According to the Journal Herald Gillotti described it as, “a miniature concert hall…. a jazz theater.” The club was small a rectangular room with 140 seats facing a bandstand. Every night between 8:30 to 9:00 p.m., Gilly’s would open its doors for after hours entertainment. The cover charge varied between $1 to $3 depending on the performance.

Due to its popularity, Gillotti wanted to expand the club’s accommodations. In 1977, Gilly’s finally moved to a permanent home on 132 S. Jefferson St. in Dayton. The new space provided more seating, good views of the stage, a quality sound system and free parking. With new features, the club expanded its musical performances to include artists from other genres, such as the rock band Green Lyte Sunday. Performers booked at Gilly’s through the years include a host of local groups and a list of national acts that include Tony Bennet, BB King, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

For 45 years, Jerry Gillotti dedicated his life to bringing the jazz experience to Dayton, Ohio. In 2013, he received the Entertainment Business Leader award and was inducted into the Dayton Walk of Fame for his contributions to the region’s jazz culture. On November 23, 2017 Gillotti passed at the age of 80. The Gillotti family decided to permanently close Gilly’s in December of that year. Today, the nightclub stands as an important part of Dayton’s local history, and one that has captured the memory of many jazz enthusiasts.    

Sources Used

MS-458, Dayton Daily News Archive, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Staten, Vince. “Jazz Hibernation Over Here; Gillotti Leading New Wave.” Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH), Nov. 14, 1976.

Huffman, Dale. “Gilly’s Starting New Life in Downtown Dayton.” Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH), May 12, 1976.

Lipper, Hal. “Gilotti Greets Spring with Glittering Lineup of Artists.” Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH), Mar. 13, 1980.

Goldwyn, Ron. “Dayton’s Jazz Experiment.” Journal Herald (Dayton, OH), Aug. 22, 1972.

Sammon, Bob. “Gilly’s Changes Looking Good.” Journal Herald (Dayton, OH), Jan. 20, 1979. 

[ Photograph of Green Derby Nightclub, July 4, 1972], MS-458, Dayton Daily News Archive, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

[ Photograph of Gilly’s Bar, December 4, 1987], MS-458, Dayton Daily News Archive, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Wright Dunbar Inc., “Jerry Gillotti.” Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame. 2013, accessed April 6, 2019. http://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/gillotti.html

Fisher, Mark, Amelia Robinson. “Dayton Icon Jerry Gillotti, Gilly’s Nightclub Owner, Dies.” Last modified November 24, 2017.https://www.dayton.com/news/just-dayton-icon-jerry-gillotti-gilly-nightclub-owner-dies/zMxkuFJ9boRAKUTflArrTM/.

Berg, Chuck. “Ohio Club Gilly’s Celebrates 30 Years,”JazzTimes. Last modified July 2, 2007.https://jazztimes.com/news/ohio-club-gillys-celebrates-30-years/.