What is now Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in downtown Chattanooga was once known as Ninth St.
For decades, nightclubs along that street in what was then a Black neighborhood showcased jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, and soul - a music scene rivaling Beale St. in Memphis and Bourbon St. in New Orleans.
At the end of this month, a new concert series - the Velvet Chair Experience - rekindles that scene.
The first concert - featuring jazz and uptown soul from vocalist Karen Collins - is on Sunday, May 28th starting at 7 PM at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.

Velvet Chair Experience

Velvet Chair Experience