This was the crowded Little J.E.M Dining & Dancing Cafe parking lot on July 16, 1958. Every Wednesday night from 8-12 was "Teen-age Hop" night with admission at 75 cents. The place was packed that Wednesday, crammed with kids anxious to listen and rock to the sounds of the Bluenotes, one of first rock bands in the area. In July of 1958 the Bluenotes included Robin Roberts on vocals, Bill Engelhart on guitar, Buck Ormsby on bass, Frank Dutra on sax and Lassie Aanes on drums. The Little J.E.M. was located on Highway 99 just past the Puyallup Bridge, and outside of Tacoma's city limits. On Fridays and Saturdays, the Little J.E.M was opened from 11 am to 2 am for dancing with live music. (TNT ad 7-23-58, A-10)

Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma); Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

On a hot night in July 1958, the Bluenotes were raising the roof at the Little J.E.M. Dining & Dancing Cafe located on Highway 99, just past the Puyallup River bridge. The Bluenotes formed in 1956, after a chance meeting between middle schoolers Bill Engelhart and Frank Dutra with Buck Ormsby and Lassie Aanes at the Sunset Movie Theater, on the corner of Sixth and Prospect. The subject of rock music came up and a band was formed - one of the first rock bands in the area. In that original group were (l to r): Buck Ormsby on bass, Lassie Aanes on drums, Bill Engelhart (only partially visible) on guitar, Robin Roberts on featured vocals and Frank Dutra on tenor sax. Buck Ormsby left to become part of the Wailers and Robin Roberts became "Rockin' Robin" and recorded on his own as well as with the Wailers. In 1959 the Bluenotes, released "I Love An Angel," as Little Bill and the Bluenotes, and the teens basked in six weeks of fame on the national charts. (Little Bill Engelhart "Next Stop, Bakersfield"; www.havemusic.com/littlebill)

Teenagers; Rock & roll dancing; Rock groups--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ormsby, Buck; Aanes, Lassie; Engelhart, Bill; Roberts, Robin; Dutra, Frank; Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma);

This was the crowded Little J.E.M Dining & Dancing Cafe parking lot on July 16, 1958. Every Wednesday night from 8-12 was "Teen-age Hop" night with admission at 75 cents. The place was packed that Wednesday, crammed with kids anxious to listen and rock to the sounds of the Bluenotes, one of first rock bands in the area. In July of 1958 the Bluenotes included Robin Roberts on vocals, Bill Engelhart on guitar, Buck Ormsby on bass, Frank Dutra on sax and Lassie Aanes on drums. The Little J.E.M. was located on Highway 99 just past the Puyallup Bridge, and outside of Tacoma's city limits. On Fridays and Saturdays, the Little J.E.M was opened from 11 am to 2 am for dancing with live music. (TNT ad 7-23-58, A-10)

Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma); Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

On July 16, 1958, teenagers crowd the floor, rocking to the sounds of the Bluenotes at the Little J.E.M. Cafe on Highway 99. In July, in pre airconditioning days, the room is undoubtedly hot and sweating dancers have unbuttoned their shirts. The Bluenotes, pioneers in the Northwest rock scene, had formed a garage band in 1956 while the musicians were still in middle school. Originators of the band can be seen, left to right, Buck Ormsby on the bass, Lassie Aanes on the drums, Frank Dutra on saxophone and Bill Engelhart (barely visible) on guitar. Not pictured is Robin Roberts on featured vocals. The band, with a few personnel changes, released a hit record in 1959, as Little Bill and the Bluenotes, "I Love An Angel." In 2004, Bill Engelhart and the Blue Notes, with changes in musicians and a more blues influenced musical style, still record and perform in the Northwest. (Little Bill Engelhart "Next Stop, Bakersfield")

Teenagers; Rock & roll dancing; Rock groups--Tacoma--1950-1960; Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma); Ormsby, Buck; Aanes, Lassie; Dutra, Frank; Engelhart, Bill;

The house is rocking at the Little J.E.M. Club, on Highway 99, to the sounds of the teen band The Bluenotes. The Bluenotes was one of the pioneer rock bands of the area, formed in 1956 when its musicians were just in middle school. The band, in July of 1958, consisted on Buck Ormsby on bass, Lassie Aanes on drums, Bill Engelhart on guitar, Robin Roberts on vocals and Frank Dutra on saxophone. These pioneers of rock started out as a garage band in Tacoma. (Little Bill Engelhart "Next Stop, Bakersfield")

Teenagers; Rock & roll dancing; Rock groups--Tacoma--1950-1960; Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma);

Teenagers packed the Little J.E.M. Dining & Dancing Cafe on July 16, 1958, to rock n' roll to the music of the Bluenotes. The Little J.E.M. was on Hwy 99 just past the Puyallup River bridge. Set up on a small stage at one end of the room (right corner), the band's singer, a teenage Rockin' Robin Roberts, was backed by Lassie Aanes on drums, Bill Engelhart on electric guitar, Buck Ormsby on bass and Frank Dutra on saxophone. The boys were young teens, and one of the first rock ' roll bands in the area. In 1958, Duane Eddy released "Rebel Rouser," Jerry Lee Lewis was "Breathless," and the Wailers made their first public appearance at Bellarmine High School.

Teenagers; Rock & roll dancing; Rock groups--Tacoma--1950-1960; Little J.E.M. Cafe (Tacoma);