The Boulevard Cafe was located at 533 Dupont Ave. near Sixth Ave. No. It may have been a converted store. Stebbins tells of a famous session in 1944 when some members of Duke Ellington’s band showed up after hours and jammed until 10:00 the next morning. Another night Ellington and Count Basie were in town on the same night. The jamming started at about 10:30 pm and so many musicians joined in that there wasn’t nearly enough room on the little bandstand. Stebbins quotes from Jim Bennett, “Jazz in the Twin Cities,” Twin Citian, Vol. VI, no. 7, March 1964, p. 17:

Along about midnight, the musicians took a break and the Boulevard was suddenly la Place Pigalle. Hookers got up and promenaded around the room in search of the night’s business. Peddlers stopped at your table to offer magic store novelties, loaded dice or “art” photos.

A black dwarf, less than three feet tall, raced through the room holding two flaming torches above his head. He squirmed up on the bandstand and swooped the torches around in great arcs to attract attention. The crowd quieted and he held one torch aloft, then plunged it into his mouth. A moment later he drew it out, still flaming… He pulled a sword from under his coat, saluted the audience, and slid it slowly down his gullet. The crowd applauded as he pulled it out…

There was a rush of tables when word went around that the Ellington and Basie groups were on their way… And then an interesting thing happened. Earlier preparations for the musicians’ heroes appeared casual in comparison with the arrangements now in progress. Heads craned to see who it was that merited such attention. After a few minutes a middle-aged Negro wearing glasses and a conservative dark suit was escorted to the seat of honor… There was no question of the position he occupied in the Boulevard’s firmament. He was a ranking star, the premiere personage…

His name was Fletcher Henderson…

In March 1945 proprietor Elmer Lewis and William L. Kelly were indicted by the Hennepin County Grand Jury on charges of purchasing stolen whiskey. They pleaded not guilty and were released on $1,500 bail. No details on the outcome.