Also located in the Paris' Latin Quarter Le Chat Qui Pêche was founded in a 1955 cellar by Madam Ricard who began looking for work during the war as part of the French Resistance. What started out as a one-floor operation quickly grew into a large-scale music scene for many black American musicians fleeing racist societies at home. As her club grew in popularity it was evident that her basement cellar establishment was in need of renovations and expansion. She began to hire more musicians besides the locals, thus introducing the American jazz scene.

Le Chat Qui Pêche was an important landmark for the jazz scene in Paris because it allowed American jazz musicians to continue their career while finding refuge in another city that was appreciative of jazz music. The flood of American musicians into Paris was prevalent as American troops arrived in Europe during the end of the second world war.[1] While racial tensions were high in the United states, many black American jazz musicians found themselves moving and setting up their careers in France as they felt welcomed and part of a community instead of exiled by American aggression.[2] Sonny Criss, a black American jazz saxophonist tells recounts to American magazine Down Beat, "oh man, racially it is the greatest feeling over there. I wish more American Negros would go there to see how everyone gets along."[3] Many jazz musicians shared the same opinion as Criss, coming to Paris to expand their music careers where they were accepted and welcomed into an accepting multicultural community.

The black community was very important to establishing the jazz scene in Paris. Another crucial neighbourhood that was popular with the black community was Montmartre in the 18^th arrondissement. Montmartre had the largest concentration of black musicians and it became the focal point of the jazz uprising in Paris.[4] This also lead to the establishment of speakeasies and underground gathering places where African Americans would congregate to form their own community based on their musical and cultural preferences identities.[5] This allowed a community of like-minded individuals to gather in solace in an area outside the city walls making life less surveilled compared to that in the heart of Paris.

[1] Szlamowicz, Jean. 2005. "LE MYTHE DES MUSICIENS DE 'JAZZ' AMERICAINS A PARIS DANS LES ANNEES 1960: UNE REVISION DE L'HISTOIRE CONTEMPORAINE." Revue Francaise D'etudes Americaines no. 104:104 p. 82. Historical Abstracts with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed November 25, 2017).

[2] Ibid 84.

[3] ibid 84.

[4] "Harlem In Montmartre | Historian Tyler Stovall On Montmartre | Great Performances | PBS". 2017. Great Performances. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/harlem-in-montmartre-historian-tyler-stovall-on-montmartre/829/.

[5] Ibid.