Billie Holiday used to perform regularly in the Zebra Room at the fabled Lenox Lounge. Tonight, Yuko and I sat in Lady Day's booth as the house band rehearsed for the evening's set. Across the room, in the opposite corner, was where Malcolm X was interviewed by a young Alex Haley for his seminal autobiography. The Lenox has been hallowed ground in the heart of Harlem since it was founded in 1939.
Its founding was a result of the Harlem Renaissance, as spearheaded by such writers as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and musicians like Duke Ellington. From the floor tiles to the light fixtures, the Lenox remains a beautiful example of Art Deco.
After a few "Miles Davis" and "Harlem Nights" cocktails, we couldn't contain our joy...
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