The 1905, a North Portland jazz club that has seen better days, is gearing up to come back to life under a new management team. This once-vibrant music venue closed down in November last year but now plans to swing its doors open once again within a month or so, according to a press release from Monday morning reported by Portland Mercury. The past few years have been rough for the club, with financial instability, especially during the pandemic, and issues including staff checks bouncing.

Chris Pfeifer, previously a partner at the defunct Barrel Room and Chandelier, is all set to take up the reins at the 1905. Pfeifer is not just looking to reopen the doors but also to possibly fully re-energize the local jazz scene. "We see this as an opportunity to not just revive a cherished venue, but to make it an even better platform for local talent," Pfeifer told BNN Breaking. The revamp includes a team of 1905 veterans, with Joshua Madrid, formerly of Multnomah Whiskey Library and Scotch Lodge, stepping in as bar manager, and Holly Resnick as program director.

Established in 2016, The 1905 originally opened as a pizza joint before it found its rhythm as a jazz club, hosting nightly shows that included both local and touring acts. The club gained notable recognition, being the only Oregon jazz club to make it into Downbeat's international venue guide in 2023, detailed in a piece by Robert Ham. The former owner, Aaron Barnes, was a trained jazz musician who opened two other businesses, Scholar and sports bar Hopscotch but admitted to Portland Monthly as cited in Portland Easter news, "I didn’t have the [business] knowledge. Every time I thought I got the right information, it was maybe too late, or not enough, or we grew too fast, or sometimes put the vision ahead of the bank account, to be completely honest."

The financial issues from the past seem to be resolved, as indicated in the reopening press release addressed by PDX Eater. The 1905 is poised to reassert itself as a pivotal player in Portland's jazz culture and live music scene, hopefully without repeating the financial missteps of its former management. The community eagerly awaits to see if the new team can successfully strike up a new tune for the iconic venue without falling flat on the business front.