The walls at Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining are crowded with signed photographs of jazz legends and decades of memories from a Chinese restaurant that became one of New England’s most enduring music clubs.
For nearly 50 years, musicians and music lovers have traveled to downtown Woonsocket for a combination they are unlikely to find anywhere else: Chinese food, jazz and blues — all served under one roof.
What began in 1905 as a small, family-owned Chinese restaurant (formerly called Shanghai, then New Shanghai when the Chan family first took over operations from cousins in 1965) has evolved into a beloved, intimate jazz and music club with good food, great vibes and groovy tunes.
The pairing may have seemed unconventional when Chan first introduced live music in 1977. Nearly five decades later, it has become Chan’s defining formula — and helped turn the restaurant into a cultural institution far beyond Woonsocket.
“Good Chinese food and good music kind of connects people… You know, it's just good for your soul,” says Chan’s owner and operator John Chan.
It was his idea to bring live music to Chan’s in the late 70s; as a student at Providence College, Chan says he spent many a night at music clubs around the city — his go-to spot was Joe’s Upstairs. Passionate about music, specifically jazz (though Chan is more of a painter himself), he pitched the idea of hosting performances at the Woonsocket eatery.
“I came back and asked my father, [and] he grew up in the big band era, so he said, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a shot.’ So that's how it got started,” Chan says.
One of the first musicians to come through the Chan’s door was Sammy Sherman and his band. Sammy on slide trombone. Famed jazz pianist Dave McKenna's sister, Gene McKenna O'Donnell, the vocalist. Alvin Polio on guitar. Rodney Dallasanto, a professor at Providence College, on jazz accordion. And Bill Gilbert on drums. Chan describes their set as “the type of thing you don’t ever forget.”
Chan notes that, at the time, Chinese food was considered a unique cuisine, and not available everywhere. Plus, huge portions of flavorful food sold at affordable prices drew in Woonsocket’s blue-collar workers and families looking for warm, hearty, inexpensive meals. In the mid-70s, Chan’s got its liquor license, allowing for even more opportunities to gather.
By the 80s, the restaurant had expanded into what used to be a bank next door, which created more seating and a proper “events room” for live musicians — who, thanks to an outstanding debut performance by Sherman and band, were coming in droves to jam at Chan’s.
Chan admits that it took a while for things to catch on with the general public. Unlike Providence or other city centers, Woonsocket wasn't synonymous with live music venues or happening night life, plus it was considered “out of the way” for Rhode Island’s metropolitan folk. And that signature combination of Chinese food with jazz music was unorthodox, too. But, as more and more acts poured in, so did the audience.
In true Rhode Island fashion, Chan, who grew up in Cumberland, says he knew things were going well when people were driving “all the way” from Providence to attend shows.
Since then, Chan’s has hosted thousands of musicians — from cultural icons and pioneers of jazz, blues and R&B to tribute bands and artists just beginning their careers. Music legends who have graced Chan’s performance platform (it’s smaller and much lower to the ground than a traditional stage would be, creating a more intimate experience) include, but are certainly not limited to: Dizzy Gillespie, Rebecca Parris, Scott Hamilton, Leon Redbone (or, as Chan casually refers to him, “his dear friend”) and countless others.
Most performances at Chan’s have been recorded and preserved. (After all, Chan says they’re “important pieces of history.”) Pictures of these artists, adorned with signatures and personalized notes, line the walls, reminding customers and performers of Chan’s acclaim.
They make up only a fraction of the restaurant’s decor: watercolor and oil paintings created by Chan himself sit opposite “the wall of fame”; giant pop-art portraits of other musicians by George Frayne are seen throughout, along with original art by Robert Hamilton; signed Farrelly Brothers movie posters (also close friends of Chan) decorate the lobby. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.In many ways, Chan’s is more than a restaurant and music club. It’s also a sort of museum — commemorating the people that have proudly traveled to, and performed at, this unsuspecting Chinese eatery located in a historically French mill village.
“People can’t believe this is happening in Woonsocket,” says Chan. But it is. And Chan wants to see more of it.
While Chan’s has slowly but surely bolstered Woonsocket’s creative scene, Chan said he thinks there is a lot of potential for Woonsocket to become even more artistically and culturally diverse and appreciated.
“For a while, it was desolate, you know, it was a desert for arts and culture. So, we were kind of the anchor… Now we have the Museum of Work and Culture at the end of Main Street. And we’re walking distance to the Stadium Theater, which has about 1,100 seats. And those places bring in out-of-towners,” he adds.
“I'd like to see Main Street becoming a theater district of some sort, an entertainment district. [That] would be fun.”
Chan’s impact (both the restaurant and the man) has played a significant role in this mission. So much so that Chan has been granted a key to the city, has his own John Chan Day in Woonsocket (April 26, 1993) and will be honored with a whimsical statue on the corner of Railroad and Main Street later this year or early next.
Even when Chan’s was bringing in some of the biggest names in the game, Chan said he never considered moving his business out of Woonsocket.
“It’s where I’m comfortable. I can close my eyes and walk this building blindfolded, you know?” Chan says. “It’s been so long… It’s where you are that’s important. I think it is the consistency of the place and quality of the product you put out — whether it's food or music — and I think we accomplished that here.”
As an immigrant, Chan says he wholeheartedly feels he’s living the American dream. Humble beginnings led to passions and aspirations and a simple goal: to deliver the things people like, cater to the community and have fun with it.
Chan says if he can make it in Woonsocket, he can make it anywhere.
“(People) will say, ‘I’ve never been to Woonsocket, but I’ve been to Chan’s’... It’s a great honor.”
