Jazz, Ltd. was a Dixieland jazz band, nightclub and a record label in Chicago.
Sidney Bechet, during his first residency at Jazz, Ltd. (November 1947) Left to right: Bill Reinhardt, Danny Alvin, Bechet, Mel Grant, Munn Ware
Bill and Ruth Reinhardt at Jazz, Ltd. in 1957
Jazz, Ltd. building 11 E. Grand Ave., in 1947
Jazz, Ltd. building 164 E. Grand Ave., in 1960
William (Bill) Julius Theodore Reinhardt was an American clarinetist, bandleader and the owner of Jazz, Ltd.—the first Jazz club run by a musician in Chicago and one of the longest running Dixieland jazz clubs in the country. He also played tenor saxophone, French horn and sang.
Unlike many of the famous jazz musicians that Bill employed in his band, he did not seek fame; he was content with the great success of his nightclub. However, by the 1960s his band did appear on two TV programs.
Bill Reinhardt at Flaming Sally's 1977
Bill and Ruth, Jazz, Ltd., 1947
Jazz, Ltd. band in Pioneer Court, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, July, 1972