Please answer all questions in full sentences. 1. In the late 1920s The Chicago jazz scene begins to fade. Which city becomes the focal point for nightclub work, music publishing, radio, record
Duke and Fletcher Two of the main characters in the development of swing in the 1920s are Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson. The New York Scene The Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem had become a cultural center for a new African American middle class. Arts, literature, theater, poetry and music, by blacks for blacks, were emphasized. Actually this new middle class did not embrace jazz. It reminded them of the South and the lower class status they had come to Harlem to escape. The music of dance h alls and speakeasies was not the “high art” that the new citizens of Harlem wanted to be associated with. The clubs that white people experienced when they took the 15 minute ride to Harlem were largely created by white gangsters. Jazz was an integral par t of the stylized, exotic African American experience that nightclubs like “Connie’s Inn”, “Small’s Paradise” and the “Cotton Club” were selling. These were, in effect, segregated clubs simply because of the prices. A night out might cost $20 in a club li ke this. In 1929 that was a LOT of money! The “Cotton Club” was the top dog of them all. A vestige of the ol d south, the name itself was a slap in the face to African Americans. The exterior of the club had a log cabin façade and the stage was a replica o f a plantation house. Big floor shows with “jungle” themes brought in thousands of customers.The great Duke Ellington had his first big gig as the house band at the Cotton Club. Duke chose to ignore the incredible racism and just write great music that no body could resist. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899 -1974) is known as one of the most important figures in jazz history or even the history of American music. Born and raised in Washington D.C., young Edward enjoyed a very upwardly mobile middle class upbringing. His mother instilled manners, poise and elegance. His father instilled self confidence and the expectation of excellence. His friends noticed his easy demeanor and poise and started to call him “Duke”. Duke Ellington is famous as a composer. H e ran his band from the 1920s through 1974 and composed constantly the whole time. His arranging style is often described as “orchestral”. Duke would write for individual instruments and players in the band. He would mix and match them in any way he felt l ike. Duke had no formal training in arranging for large bands . Nobody told what he could and couldn’t do. The more common “sectional” arranging style treats each section as a unit (trumpets, saxes, etc.). Musicians are interchangeable in the parts. Obvious ly, Duke had the last laugh and has gone down as one of the greatest composers in the history of music. Here at the Cotton Club, Duke is responsible for all of the music for the floor shows and the music between them. The shows constantly change and Duke g ets a chance to master his craft. Here is a cut from some very early Duke Ellington.
