The Eblon Theater was constructed by Homer Eblon and opened in 1923 as a vaudeville and motion picture theater. It was home to the Eblon Orchestra, which had weekly broadcasts over local radio stations and provided the music for motion pictures. The popular theater venue was owned by African Americans servicing black people in the community. In 1927, Bill "Count" Basie was a part of the vaudeville circuit from New York and was left stranded at the Eblon Theater when his act disbanded. He took a job playing the organ to the silent movies in the theater. In the spring of 1933, The Eblon Theater was remodeled and converted into a Japanese-styled nightclub and was renamed the Cherry Blossom. Basie was part of Bennie Moten's band until Basie formed his own band called Count Basie and His Cherry Blossom Orchestra. The Cherry Blossom Club was the site of the infamous battle of the saxes with the king of the tenor sax, Coleman Hawkins, and saxophonists Herschel Evans, Ben Webster, and Lester Young. The photo shows the Eblon Theater at 1822 Vine Street, Kansas City, MO.