The Big Bear Tavern (or Big Bear Inn) was a bar and club at 7300 Redwood Road. It had a large wooden bear in front for signage
The club was home to the traditional jazz revival of the 1940s. 1 The club is memorialized in the Yerba Buena Jazz Band's song, "Big Bear Stomp". 1
The club was owned by E. Smith in October, 1935, when it was raided for illegal gaming machines. 4
It was sold by L. J. Bischoff in July, 1936. 3
Jack Remers was shot in the arm during a dust-up when he and some friends came in with their own beer and told they couldn't drink it there. 5
The site was used for a Hollywood re-creation of a gas station for the Clint Eastwood movie True Crime (1999). 2
Links and References
- Yerba Buena Jazz Band
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park on Wikipedia
- Business Changes Oakland Tribune July 4, 1936
- Two Counties Launch New Gaming Raids Oakland Tribune October 22, 1935
- One Shot in Tavern Fight Oakland Tribune January 27, 1938
- "Big Bear Stomp" (mp3)
- Turk Murphy on Jazzology.com
- Yerba Buena Jazz Band Images of America: San Francisco Jazz by Medea Isphording Bern
- Turk Murphy to Perform at Carnegie New York Times January 9, 1987
