Bert's Marketplace is at 2731 Russell Street in Detroit. Their phone is 313.567.2030. Their hours are 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, with Thursday night open mic starting at 8 p.m. Fridays feature a Motown D.J. Saturdays are from 11 a.m. till, quite possibly, 4 a.m. and feature extended sets from the house band.
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Cobo Center, Belle Isle, American and Lafayette Coney Island, Renaissance Center, Mariner's Church, Joe Louis Arena; these are all institutions that signify and put an indelible stamp on the city of Detroit.
Bert Dearing Jr., who has been doing business in the city for nearly 40 years, is among those long-standing institutions, to be sure.
Dearing was encouraged by his family at a young age to follow his dreams. He did just that by opening the Black Horse Bar in 1968. It was there that he began a legacy of featuring the finest in jazz that the city had to offer.
At that time, he had live music going seven nights a week and was very instrumental in fostering the careers of, then, young and upcoming stars like Harold and Gwen McKinney and Marcus Belgrave.
Through the years, Dearing has been an innovator, motivator and entrepreneur in his quest for bringing the best out of himself, his staff, local culture and the community at large.
Bert's Marketplace is one of his many ventures that has been showcasing the best in local and regional jazz talent since the late 1980s.
Centrally located in Detroit's Eastern Market district, Bert's is an unpretentious nightclub that highlights seating for 150, a great view of the stage, a bright and colorful atmosphere and a comfortable and relaxed outdoor patio.
"Thursday is the hottest night in the state with our open mic," Dearing said. "You can't get in here on a Thursday. It's really something to see. All the best musicians in town eventually come here to jam. Martha Reeves is a regular. Wynton Marsalis sat in with our house band and played for two hours one night. Branford Marsalis, B.B. King, Chaka Khan, Betty Carter, James Carter, even Boy George showed up one night.
Accompanying the uncommonly stellar sounds is a very reasonably priced "soul food" menu. Chicken, catfish and ribs figure prominently with an average cost of around $7.50 per dinner.
Bert's Marketplace also caters many metro area events like the Detroit Tastefest, Pontiac's Arts, Beats and Eats, Hart Plaza's Ribs and Soul Fest and numerous promotional and private parties.
But their centerpiece, first and foremost, is the music and Dearing keeps some of the best musicians in town under his employ.
Veterans all, the house band consists of Johnny Cleaver on drums, Teddy Harris on piano, Rod Hicks on bass and Larry Smith on saxophone.
In reference to his musicians, Dearing bares his soul with comments on them and the Detroit scene in general.
"The relationship with the musicians has been great," he said. " I think there is so much potential here. I wish it could grow more than it has. Detroit has so much talent that it's hard to be recognized because there's a pool of so many. You can go to New York, Philadelphia or whatever. I wouldn't even book who they would call a headliner at my club. I'm just being truthful. The talent here is just great."
Bert's Marketplace is at 2731 Russell Street in Detroit. Their phone is 313.567.2030. Their hours are 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, with Thursday night open mic starting at 8 p.m. Fridays feature a Motown D.J. Saturdays are from 11 a.m. till, quite possibly, 4 a.m. and feature extended sets from the house band.
Contact Eric Harabadian at Harab1@aol.com.
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