Bob Schwartz, Blue Note Vocalist. McEwan Photo Studios, Jan 1955. WHC Collections 2006.002.0687.

Passion for Jazz Led to Firing of Salem Police Officer

Digging through photos and artifacts in preparation for a special exhibit looking at the history of live music in Salem, I came across a non-descript portrait, showing a man standing beside a piano taken by the McEwan Photo Studio in January 1955.  On the envelope was a simple inscription: Man Singing (“Blue Note” vocalist) and the name and address of Bob Schwartz.  Having been elbow deep in brass band uniforms and string quartet programs that day, finding something to visually represent jazz in our community was a welcome lead.  So, I started down the research rabbit hole that turned out to be full of blue notes.

The Blue Note

The Blue Note turned out to be a jazz and super club opened by Don Brassfield in January 1954[1] at 2625 Dallas Road (now Salem-Dallas Highway/Highway 22).[2]  Brassfield was born in Salem,[3] but had some serious jazz and pop chops, having played saxophone for the likes of Gene Krupa, Spike Jones and Bob Crosby.[4]  Advertisements for the short-lived club make it sound like a good time.  Brassfield’s quartet would play regularly, as would many guest artists.  There were dance contests in Jitterbug and Samba. [5]  The club regularly hosted theme nights, too, including a full-on Luau attended by 200 people featuring rocks for roasting the pig brought in from the Oregon Coast and poi and ti leaves flown in from Hawaii.[6]  The Western night featuring Tommy Kizziah and his West Coast Ramblers was a little more low key with instructions: “Come as you are – Blue Jeans or What Have you.”[7]  The club frequently invited local singers to perform, which was an opportunity taken up by one talented Salem Police Officer: Arnold Robert “Bob” Schwartz.

Bob Schwartz

By his own recollection, Schwartz’s musical career started when he was 5 years old, singing at the Hollywood Theater in Salem during the live entertainment hour preceding a matinee movie showing.[8]  At the sound of the applause, he was hooked.  But music wasn’t his only talent.  A skilled and voracious softball player,[9]  Schwartz moved to Chattanooga to play for the Washington Senator’s affiliate team.[10]  His baseball career was short lived, however.

Schwartz joined the Salem Police Department in 1950 as a temporarily appointed patrolman.[11]  He passed his civil service test about a year later – delayed by a deployment with the Marine Corps – and was approved for a permanent position within the force.[12]

Conduct Unbecoming a Police Officer

During his off-duty time and in civilian clothes, Schwartz began singing at the Blue Note.  He didn’t think anything of it.  He was doing something he loved on his own time.  Word got around, however, to Salem’s Chief of Police, Clyde A. Warren.  According to Chief Warren, there was a standing rule that no officer should “loiter at places where intoxicating liquor was drunk.” He called Schwartz in for a conference to remind him of the standing rule and to tell him he could no longer sing at the club because of it.  Schwartz and Chief Warren remembered the conversation that day very differently.  Schwartz thought the Chief had told him to disregard the conversation and that he would put the issue down in writing with more instructions.  Chief Warren assumed that his verbal notice would stand with a written order to follow up.  Not receiving any written communication from Chief Warren, Schwartz went ahead and sang that next evening.

A letter from the Chief would arrive the next morning.  Schwartz was fired soon after citing “conduct unbecoming a Police Officer” and “Insubordination.” [13]

Schwartz appealed the firing with the Salem Civil Service commission.[14]  The appeal lasted several months. Schwartz testified that Chief Warren knew about his singing for more than a week before forbidding him from doing it and that there was no official rule on the books preventing police officers from “visiting a place licensed by the state liquor commission.”  Club owner Brassfield testified that he had other police officers from all over the state as regular customers and that even the Mayor had sung at the club.[15]

Despite the testimony in Schwartz’s favor, the hearing upheld his firing, although it was noted in the newspaper report that the hearing only recognized the charge of insubordination.[16]

Schwartz took a new day job as a sportswriter for the Oregon Statesman newspaper, a position he held for over 20 years. [17]   He continued singing on the side, often flying to California and Nevada on weekends and during holidays and performing under the stage name Bob-B Holiday.[18]  Locally he became a special events coordinator at the Oregon State Fair helping book talent. [19]  In 1979 he opened Schwartz’s Sports Saloon on Portland Road,[20] which combined two of his passions live music and sports.

The Blue Note Club didn’t last very long.  Advertisements ceased in 1954 and a new restaurant is opened in its space in January 1956.[21]  The building served as many things over the years, but I think there is a bit of poetic irony in the fact that it is now a legal Cannabis shop.   What would Chief Warren have had to say about that I wonder?

This article was written by Kylie Pine.  It appeared in the Statesman Journal newspaper in June 2022.  It is reproduced here with citations for reference purposes.

Citations

[1] “Blue Note to Open Tonight” Oregon Statesman 05 Jan 1954 pg 7 

[2] Advert. CJ 21 Jul 1954 pg 2; “Blue Note to Open Tonight” Oregon Statesman 05 Jan 1954 pg 7

[3] Quoted as such in article, but double checked with Oregon Birth Certificate Marion County 257 and his WWII Draft Card (signed in Los Angeles)   Both give a birthdate of 13 Jan 1913 in Salem, Oregon.

[4] “Blue Note to Open Tonight” Oregon Statesman 05 Jan 1954 pg 7;

[5] Advertisement.  Capital Journal 17 April 1954

[6] “Dining Spot Goes Hawaiian” Oregon Statesman 26 April 1954 pg 5

[7] “Advertisement.” Capital Journal 21 July 1954 pg 2

[8] Hider, Mitch. “Who does Bob Schwartz think he is?” Oregon Statesman  14 May 1978 pg 60

[9] Upjohn, Don. “Sips for Supper.” Capital Journal 23 Feb 1942 pg. 4.  “More than one sign points to a new world order of some kind.  For instance, Lu Singer confided to us today that he and Bob Schwartz haven’t been out yet to practice softball and here it is pretty nigh to march.”

[10] Hider, Mitch. “Who does Bob Schwartz think he is?” Oregon Statesman  14 May 1978 pg. 60:  At 17 he turned pro to play for the Washington Senators in Chattanooga.”;  WWII Draft Card (1944) lists a Chattanooga address; See Also the American Baseball Bureau Questionnaire, 1945. Ancestry.com. U.S., Baseball Questionnaires, 1945-2005 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.  These surveys were filled out by professional baseball players.

[11] “Schwartz to Trade Police Uniform for Marine Corps.” Oregon Statesman 08 Oct 1950 pg. 5.  “A temporary appointee, Schwartz became a patrolman with the city police force on August 15.”

[12] Ibid.  “17 Qualify for City Service.” Capital Journal 22 Nov 1951 pg. 10

[13] Gangware, Robert E.  “Board to Rule on Policeman Singing in Club.” Oregon Statesman 25 Aug 1954 pg. 1

[14] IBID; “Hearing for Fired Policeman” Capital Journal 22 Jul 1954 pg. 7; “Decision Near On Appeal of Fired Officer” Oregon Statesman 14 Sept 1954 pg. 5

[15] Gangware, Robert E.  “Board to Rule on Policeman Singing in Club.” Oregon Statesman 25 Aug 1954 pg. 1

[16] “Police Singers Bounce Upheld.” Capital Journal 16 Sept 1954 pg. 15; Ruling Backs Dismissal of Patrolman Oregon Statesman 16 Sept 1954 pg. 5

[17] See byline.  “Salem Academy Club Spirll Taft. Oregon Statesman 29 Dec 1956 pg 8; “Bob Schwartz Joins Paper’s Sport Staff.” Oregon Staesman 28 Jan 1962 pg. 9; Salem City Directory, 1971 Schwartz, Arnold R. (Colleen A.) sports reporter, Statesman-Journal Co. H. 255 Kenwood Av NE

[18] Hider, Mitch. “Who Does Bob Schwartz think he is?” Oregon Statesman 14 May 1978 pg. 60

[19] Hider, Mitch. “Who Does Bob Schwartz think he is?” Oregon Statesman 14 May 1978 pg. 60

[20] “Bob Schwartz, 53, dies of massive heart attack.” Oregon Statesman 26 May 1980 pg. 17;  “Mid-Valley Clubs list weekend entertainment.” Oregon Statesman  05 Oct 1979 pg. 31

[21] “Restaurant Opens Door on Dallas Road” Oregon Statesman 08 Jan 1956 pg. 5