Ike Dixon

Isaiah "Ike" Dixon (December 14, 1896 – January 6, 1953) was an American musician and club owner. He was a major figure in the Baltimore jazz scene, as proprietor of the Comedy Club in that city, a major music venue that first opened in 1934 and was an after-show gathering place for many national figures who performed elsewhere in Baltimore.

Early life Isaiah Dixon was born on December 14, 1896, in East Baltimore, Maryland, to Annie (née Daniels) and Atney Dixon. He was educated in local public schools.

Career Dixon, who played the drums, piano and soprano saxophone, was the founder of a traveling jazz band, created in 1920, called the "Jazz Demons". According to Duke Ellington's autobiography Music is My Mistress, Dixon had the best band in Baltimore. The band went from show to show on a chartered bus and appeared on a local radio broadcast. Those whom the club hosted include Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Washington, Miles Davis. Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Edward "Slappy" White, and Redd Foxx. He also ran the newspaper Dance Fan News. The family lived on Dolphin Street in Baltimore for more than 21 years before moving to their Old Frederick Road home in Catonsville in 1944.

Legacy After his death, the club was taken over and run until it closed in the 1960s by his sons, Howard and Isaiah.