London House (Chicago)

The London House was a jazz club and restaurant in Chicago located at the corner of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue, in the London Guaranty and Accident Company Building, 360 N. Michigan Ave.[1] It was one of the foremost jazz clubs in the country, once home to successful jazz artists including Oscar Peterson, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland, Dinah Washington, Cannonball Adderley, Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal, Nancy Wilson, Barbara Carroll and Bobby Short.

[2] Renovated in 1946 by George and Oscar Marienthal, the club was crafted from the original Fort Dearborn Grill.

After jazz had finally waned as popular music, losing out to rock and roll, The London House closed in January, 1975.

Jerry Dambra, the managing partner from 1971-1975 famously said ,"I was a lucky man to close the two greatest clubs in the world."

(He was also the managing partner at Mister Kelly's) Ramsey Lewis was the last performer who played at London House, 1/12/1975.