Le Hibou Coffee House

Le Hibou Coffee House was an internationally known coffee house established in Ottawa, Canada, operating from 1960 to 1975.

History
Denis Faulkner, an Ottawa francophone, was the founding owner manager from 1960 to 1968. It was during this period that Le Hibou became established as a now famous embryo of the arts. There was no arts centre at that time in the capital city. The National Arts Centre opened in 1969. Faulkner presented pocket experimental theater in French and English - some original works, poetry readings, chansonniers from Quebec, the Maritime provinces and France, children's programming, comedy, blues, jazz, rock and folk singing. His objective was to provide an environment that encouraged talent and at the same time groomed local audiences.

In 1965, Faulkner, along with friend and Ottawa architect Matt Stankiewicz, selected and converted a larger site at 521 Sussex Drive to what is now most popularly known as the location of Le Hibou. This heritage building was owned by the National Capital Commission. Le Hibou was not independently wealthy and relied on the Ottawa community to be involved in the experiment. The National Capital Commission was a major contributor to the club through charging below market rent. The Commission's vision was linked to fostering the development of the Byward Market as the hub of Ottawa night life. [citation required] Le Hibou and several original boutiques set the concept in motion. Stankovicz and Faulkner converted an unoccupied warehouse to a friendly cafe with high ceilings and excellent acoustics. They kept the original tin engraved ceilings and brick interior walls. They lined another wall with floor to ceiling roughly finished BC fir, which inhibited sound echo.

Another important contributor to the support of Le Hibou was the Canada Council for the Arts, which subsidized the seminal poetry reading series of Canadian poets. This programme was masterminded by poet Harry Howith, a Le Hibou founding member. Lineups were blocks long, but the then Bank Street venue could only hold about 60 people.

Le Hibou relied primarily on admission charges to cover the costs of the theatre, comedy and music programmes, although some presentations were sponsored by the CBC (radio and television) - especially for local jazz groups. Posters advertising events were in themselves works of art - created by local established graphic artists at no charge. The famous owl logo was created by Frank Mayers. Other poster ads were frequently created by artists Chris Wells, the Rosewarns, David Sutherland, Georges de Niverville, James Boyd and Dennis Pike. Le Hibou served food during the day and, for after hours jazz programmes, both food and alcohol. Many Canadian and international folk, blues and jazz artists developed their reputations through appearances at Le Hibou.

Much of the current press has forgotten the contribution that Faulkner made to the francophone community. Here is a sample of the eclectic mix. Now famous singer-song writers such as Renee Claude, Pauline Julien, Edith Butler, Claude Leveillee, Claude Gauthier, Robert Charlebois, Diane Dufresne, Tex Lecor, Louise Forestier appeared at Le Hibou. The French community was also exposed to the talents of French actors and directors. The well known theatre producer, long time artistic director of the National Arts Centre, Gilles Provost flexed his artistic muscle at Le Hibou both at the Bank and Sussex locations.

Another major contribution that le Hibou made was to the development of an informed film audience. Alan Knight, brother-in-law of Denis Faulkner, a scholar in 18th century literature and longtime Le Hibou night supervisor provided weekly presentations of international films - both classic and modern series highlighting especially the development and growth of film. These films were not only rare, but rarely viewed in Canada at that time. (Alan Knight's mother was the book-keeper who kept Le Hibou's financial records straight especially ensuring unemployment insurance was paid-some local press states that people worked for a free lunch - regular staff were always paid, volunteers were rewarded).

The anglophone artists are elaborated on below by Joan and John Russow who purchased Le Hibou from the Faulkners. Their line-up is the most accurate purview of a typical Le Hibou programme and they improved on the music tradition especially (Joan Russow an artist in her own right continued the tradition of artistic poster ads). In 1972, they sold Le Hibou to Pierre-Paul Lefreniere and Daphne Birks - Le Hibou went bankrupt in May 1975. The sixties were over for sure, and maybe the arts center now established was competing or maybe the new owners hadn't anticipated the effort it took to manage the hard work of the original concept - it wasn't anyone's conventional business model.

Dan Aykroyd describes the influence of Le Hibou on his own career direction, particularly as related to the Blues Brothers, as follows:


 * "So I grew up (in Ottawa), in this capital city. My parents used to work for the government, and I went to elementary school, high school, and the university in the city. And there was a place on Sussex Drive (Sussex Drive is where the Prime Minister’s house is, right below Parliament Hill), and there was a little club there called Le Hibou, which in French means 'the owl'. And it was run by a gentleman named Harvey Glatt, and he brought every, and I mean every blues star that you or I would ever have wanted to have seen through Ottawa in the late 50s, well I guess more late 60s sort of, in around the Newport jazz rediscovery. I was going to Le Hibou and hearing James Cotton, Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, and Muddy Waters. I actually jammed behind Muddy Waters. S. P. Leary left the drum kit one night, and Muddy said 'anybody out there play drums? I don’t have a drummer.' And I walked on stage and we started, I don’t know, Little Red Rooster, something. He said 'keep that beat going, you make Muddy feel good.' And I heard Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett). Many, many times I saw Howlin’ Wolf. And of course Buddy Guy, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. So I was exposed to all of these players, playing there as part of this scene to service the academic community in Ottawa, a very well-educated community. Had I lived in a different town I don’t think that this would have happened, because it was just the confluence of educated government workers, and then also all the colleges in the area, Ottawa University, Carleton, and all the schools—these people were interested in blues culture."

From 1968 – 1972 Le Hibou was owned and operated by John and Joan Russow, personal friends of the Faulkners. From its inception, Le Hibou was run primarily for members and for performers as usual. When the Russows bought Le Hibou in 1968, they continued with the type of programming and artistic sensibility that had been established by Penny and Denis Faulkner. Many of the performers that had played during the first years of Le Hibou continued to play there when they ran Le Hibou. Every Monday night, there were Hootenannys with local performers, and every Friday and Saturday night, when there were no bands playing during the week, there were mostly local bands such as MRQ. The Upstairs was made available to local bands for rehearsal and for artists. There was also a health food restaurant which continued the tradition set up by the Faulkners.

Local performers, such as David Wiffen, Bill Stevenson, Bruce Cockburn, Peter Hodgson (Sneezy Waters), and others played solo for the week.

A former Le Hibou night supervisor with the Russows, Pierre-Paul Lafreniere, bought the club in 1972, and then Daphne Birks joined him as co-owner the following year. Peter Nichols led the hootenanny and the after hours sessions featured Heavens Radio. A few performers mainly local from the Faulkner and Russow's time at the helm continued to be featured at the Hibou. Local folk performers such as Carson & Wheeler, Kevin Gillis, Tom See, Robert Soucy, Bob Stark, Ian Tamblyn, Sandy Crawley and Peter Chapin were featured on stage. Most of these artists were groomed at the 'classical' Le Hibou via hootenanies.

The following performers appeared in the period 1972 to 1975 when owned by Pierre-Paul Lafreniere and Daphne Birks - some having appeared in previous iterations:
 * Folk – Christopher Kearny Folk Trio, Thom Roberts, Keith Sykes, Paul Geremia, Valdy, The Good Brothers, Fergus, Fraser & Debolt, Beverly Glenn-Copeland
 * Québécois- Alexandre Zelkin, Syrinx, Vos Voisins, Dionysos, Plouffe en Liberté;
 * Blues- T-Bone Walker, Joe Mendelson, The Heavenly Blue, Shakey Al Blues And Boogie Band;
 * Rock – Taylor Dain, John Mills-Cockell, James Leroy Group, The Rhythm Rockets;
 * World Music – Los Quinchimali, Geetanjali, Supply Demand And Curv.

As for theatre the following plays were presented: Samuel Beckett's Fin de Partie (The End Game), Arrabac's Fando And Lis and The First Communion, three scenes from works by Mrozek It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad Park

Magician Doug Henning made some of his earliest appearances there, accompanied by John Mills-Cockell

At the time, Le Hibou was part of the fading coffeehouse circuit and hosted a few performers who were touring and needed a smaller venue. As always in Le Hibou history, the artist and the members were people to be treated with respect.

In 1973, Lafreniere provided space on the second floor for a group of visual artists and photographers. A fire had forced them to evacuate the Coon Hollow Studio, which was also on Sussex Drive. The artists in collaboration with Lafreniere established a new gallery and studio above the club and he named it the Sussex Annex Works or SAW Gallery. The gallery is still in operation today at the Arts Court building.

In the spring of 1975, Le Hibou closed its doors. Lafreniere held a series of farewell concerts, featuring a week hosted by Bruce Cockburn with friends, and a week hosted by Sneezy Waters with friends. Denis Faulkner, original founding owner-manager helped to raise funds to pay the unpaid back rent. Several other factors contributed to the club’s demise, including the lowering of the drinking age (no alcohol was sold at Le Hibou except for banquet licensed after hours jazz), the progressive National Arts Center programming, increased competition from a growing number of licensed small local musical venues, dramatic increases in fees related to bigger bands, and finally, pressures from the landlord - the National Capital Commission.

Since 2009, broadcaster Ken Rockburn has been collecting material and conducting interviews for a book on the history of Le Hibou.

In 2009, a new "Café Le Hibou" opened up about 20 minutes away from Ottawa in Wakefield, Quebec. The owners in tribute to Le Hibou have live performances on a weekly basis.

Performers
The following performers performed at Le Hibou during the 1968- 1972 period, and some of these appeared from 1960 to 1968 as well:

Singer songwriters and interpreters such as the above local musicians, as well as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morisson, Dr John the Night Tripper, Seals and Crofts, Don Cooper, Don Crawford, Keith Mckie, Dion Dimucci, Jerry Jeff Walker, Murray McLauglan, Tim Hardin, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Rush, Al Kooper, Corky Lang, Jonathan Edwards, Paul Siebel, Erik Anderson, Shawn Phillips, Rambling Jack Elliot, Spider John Koerner, Rosewood Daydream, Breakfast and others and others;

Jazz – Lenny Breau, Larry Coryell and Miroslav Vitus, Coleen Peterson, [they had booked Miles Davis but at the last minute he cancelled his Easter tour]

Blues: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Taj Majal, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Lucille Spann, James Cotton, T-Bone Walker, Howling wolf, and many others.

Note from LameBuffalo: As well as many of the bands already mentioned, I saw McKenna Mendleson Mainline, one of Toronto's premier blues bands, at Le Hibou. Come guys, how could you forget that? I also saw Energy, a three-piece hard rock group before hard rock was even a phrase. I couldn't believe how only three guys could fill the soundscape like that back then... Of course by today's standards, that's another story. I think Energy was from Toronto too - they weren't an Ottawa band, I know that. I hope there are others out there that will confirm my entry.

Groups: the collectors, Kensington Market, Syrinx, Five man Electrical Band, Mendelson Jo, Sorry Muthas, The Times Square Two and others

Bruce Cockburn organized a week, Bruce Cockburn and his Musical Friends, for the Russows to help them pay for their move out west.

Other artists
Denis Faulkner, founding owner-manager of Le Hibou, 1960–1968. Joan and John Russow, subsequent owners from 1968 to 1972.

This list is provided by founding owner-manager of Le Hibou, Denis Faulkner, trying to address some of the omissions in the subsequent lists found all over the Web, some provided by Dan Aykroyd and some of unknown origin:


 * Renée Claude (chansonnier)
 * Pauline Julien (chansonnier),
 * Louise Forestier (chansonnier),
 * Robert Charlebois (chansonnier),
 * Edith Butler (chansonnier),
 * Claude Leveillee (chansonnier),
 * Claude Gauthier (chansonnier),
 * Stephan Gollman (chansonnier),
 * Tex Lecor (chansonnier)],
 * Raoul Roy (traditional Quebecois folklorist),
 * Yvons Deschamps (comedian),
 * Clemence Desrocher (chansonnier, comedian),
 * Diane Dufresne (chansonnier),
 * Gilbert Chenier (comedian),
 * Ron Proby Jazz Quartet,
 * Sadik Hakim Jazz Trio,
 * Bill Stevenson (pianist - blues and jazz singer),
 * Brian Brown (jazz pianist).
 * Archie Shepp ,
 * Artists' Jazz Band
 * Lenny Breau
 * Champ Champagne
 * Tim Bond (director theatre),
 * John Palmer (director theatre),
 * Luba Goy (actor),
 * John Kehoe (actor),
 * David Broadfoot (comedian),
 * Scott and Bryant (comedians-film producers),
 * Saul Rubinek (actor),
 * Gilles Provost (director theatre),
 * Bill Walthers (actor, professor),
 * Bob Haines (actor, director, professor),
 * Noreen Young (puppeteer - children's and adult content),
 * Penny Faulkner (original musical satires),
 * Hedwidge and Jean Herbiet (actors-directors theatre),
 * Denis Faulkner (director theatre, TV producer)),
 * Edgar Demers (director theatre, journalist),
 * Stan and Huguette White (theatre),
 * Rich Little (comedian),
 * Gilbert Chenier (comedian),
 * Yvon Deschamps (comedian).
 * Clemence Desrocher (comedian, singer)
 * Cedric Smith (folk singer, narrator),
 * Barry Baldaro (comedian)
 * Mime from Ottawa University theatre groups and Montreal,
 * Elizabeth Langley (modern dance-Martha Graham grad).
 * Many art exhibits including linos by the Rosewarnes and photo works by Malak Karsh
 * Many soap boxes including Harry Howith, Dale Robertson, John Donnolly.
 * John Robert Columbo (poet),
 * James Reany (poet),
 * Raymond Souster (poet),
 * Jacques Godbout (poet),
 * Louis Dudek (poet),
 * Leonard Cohen (poet, novelist at that time),
 * Earl Birney (poet),
 * Gwendolyn MacEwan (poet),
 * Bill Hawkins (poet).
 * Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods (folk-rock band)
 * Valdy (singer-songwriter),
 * Peter Hodgson (singer, actor),
 * Otis Spann (blues),
 * Chuck Mitchel (folk),
 * Joni Mitchel (singer-songwriter)
 * Ramblin' Jack Elliot (folk),
 * Amos Garret (singer-songwriter).
 * Willy P. Bennett (singer song-writer),
 * Mandala (rock band)
 * José Feliciano (singer song-writer),
 * Brent Titcombe (singer song-writer),
 * Tom Paxton (singer song-writer),


 * The artists below appeared during the Faulkner and subsequently Russow period of Le Hibou history. John Russow was himself a jazz buff during his upbringing in Europe. It was during his ownership-management that greats like the Weather Report, Elvin Jones, Paul Horn etc. came to Le Hibou.

The Syndicated Brass (1968-71)From Buckingham Québec.
 * Eric Andersen
 * David Blue
 * Lenny Breau
 * Len Chandler
 * Robert Charlebois
 * Bruce Cockburn
 * Leonard Cohen
 * Larry Coryell
 * James Cotton
 * Paul Geremia
 * Steve Goodman
 * Sonny Greenwich
 * Buddy Guy
 * Dr. John
 * John Hammond Jr.
 * Tim Hardin
 * Richie Havens
 * Jake Holmes
 * Paul Horn
 * Ian and Sylvia
 * Elvin Jones
 * Pauline Julien
 * B.B. King
 * Kris Kristofferson
 * Gordon Lightfoot
 * Taj Mahal
 * Mahavishnu Orchestra
 * Murray McLauchlan
 * Joni Mitchell
 * Van Morrison
 * Charlie Musselwhite
 * Odetta
 * Phil Ochs
 * Colleen Peterson
 * Pinetop Perkins
 * John Prine
 * Tim Rose
 * Tom Rush
 * Buffy Sainte-Marie
 * Seals and Crofts
 * Richard and Marie-Claire Séguin
 * Archie Shepp
 * Otis Spann
 * Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
 * The Travellers
 * Jerry Jeff Walker
 * T-Bone Walker
 * Muddy Waters
 * Weather Report
 * Junior Wells
 * David Wiffen
 * Howlin' Wolf
 * Neil Young
 * Child Band