Ah, "Hip Cat", one of T's favorite books, gotten from a book sale at our local library. Here's the book:
Having been to San Francisco, I knew where this story is set, I could almost taste the transience and art of the titular hero. The book drops all kinds of names of clubs, and to my delight I am able to learn more about them through Google.
Minnie's Can Do on Filmore is an obvious place to start. Here is a great article about Minnie, and the comments provide immense elaboration by folks who had been there:
http://newfillmore.com/fillmore-classics/minnies-can-do-club/
An overview of the history of the area and how it was all ended by the "Redevelopment Agency":
http://www.pbs.org/kqed/fillmore/learning/music/swing.html
A nice scrapbook of newspaper articles including the one above:
http://www.charliehickox.com/minnies/
This is just barely related, but just so dang interesting:
http://www.answers.com/topic/for-colored-girls-who-have-considered-suicide-when-the-rainbow-is-enuf-the-choreopoem-in-focus
SO COOL: The Hungry i and the Purple Onion still exist, apparently now under one owner?
http://www.hungryi.net/purple.htm
http://www.sfstation.com/purple-onion-b3868
The Hungry i and the Purple Onion were both part of "North Beach" area described in other articles as earlier victims of the Redevelopment Agency. They appear to have been the home of more folky to mainstream acts rather than jazz:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...From_the_Hungry_i
http://www.travisedmonson.com/smotherslenny.htm
A great article about North Beach in general -- this is where the Coit tower is?
http://www.sftravel.com/northbeach.html
Ok, Wikipedia does help here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_i
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Purple_Onion
