Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies - Inside Broadway
Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies - Inside Broadway Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies - Inside Broadway
The Cotton Club Opened in 1920 under the name Club Deluxe, it changed owners in 1922 and was renamed The Cotton Club. Located on 142nd Street and Lennox Avenue, it hosted some of the best entertainment of the day including Duke Ellington and his orchestra, who became the house band in 1927. Some other notable performers of the day included Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and the Nicholas Brothers. While the performers at the Cotton Club were of African American descent the club was segregated and admitted only white patrons. The Cotton Club enjoyed immense success from 1922 to 1936 at its Harlem location and then moved downtown to West 48th Street where it stayed until 1940. You can still visit the Cotton Club at its current location on 125th Street in Harlem or watch a recreation of it on film Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Cotton Club” Stompin at the Savoy During the 1920’s and 30’s, Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom was the place to go for dancing. Located on Lenox Avenue between 140th and 141st streets the Savoy was known downtown as the “Home of Happy Feet” while in Harlem is was simply known as “The Track”. Unlike the Cotton Club, the Savoy was an integrated club where both white and black dancers shared the floor. When you came to the Savoy, the color of your skin didn’t matter, what people really wanted to know was “Can you dance?” The Savoy was the hot spot for dance from the day it opened on March 12th 1926 until it closed on July 10th 1958. A plaque was placed on the site of the original ballroom in 2006. It’s Showtime… At the Apollo Known as the place “Where Stars are Born and Legends are Made”, the Apollo Theatre was built in 1914 and was originally called the Hurtig and Seamon Theatre. In 1934, Ralph Cooper decided to do a live version of his popular radio show “Amateur Hour at the Apollo” at the Apollo Theatre. Singer Ella Fitzgerald was one of the first winners. In 1935 Bessie Smith made her first appearance at the Apollo as did a young singer by the name of Billie Holiday. The Apollo quickly became a launching pad for many groups and performers including The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Lauryn Hill. Today, the Apollo is still going strong with its “Showtime at the Apollo” talent show and hosting major performers from around the world. Suit Yourself Toward the end of 1930’s, zoot suits began to make their way onto the scene. In the urban Jazz culture of Harlem, the word “zoot” meant something exaggerated, either in style, sound or performance. Zoot suits were favored by young men who liked an extravagant way of dressing and considered themselves “hip cats”. The suit was for having fun, with baggy pants for dancing, and a long coat and wide brimmed hat to make the wearer look “grown up”. When Duke Ellington performed the song “Jump for Joy” at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles in 1941, all of the performers wore zoot suits. However, the musician most identified with the zoot suit is fellow jazz great Cab Calloway. Today we see similar trends in style with young men wearing baggy pants and shirts as a way to express themselves. Take the A Train A TRAIN
Duke Ellington 1899-1974 Duke Ellington is considered one of America’s greatest composers. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington on April 29, 1899 in Washington D.C., Duke’s involvement with music didn’t start until his teens. At the age of fourteen, Ellington went to Asbury Park, NJ to work as a dishwasher at a summer resort where he heard his first ragtime composition. The music set off a light in Duke and he began to pursue music with a passion. After playing with bands in Washington D.C. and teaching himself piano by watching and imitating other players, he became a professional musician by the age of 16 and began to see the changes that he could make jazz music to create his own style. In 1923, Duke received a job offer in New York City from band leader Wilbur Sweatman. Ellington moved to Harlem during an era known as the Harlem Renaissance, a French word meaning “rebirth”. He made his mark in Harlem as he and his band became regulars at nightclubs such as the Savoy Ballroom and Cotton Club. After leaving the Cotton Club in 1931, Ellington capitalized on his fame by touring the United States and England. Toward the end of his life, Duke Ellington received many honors, awards and honorary degrees in celebration of his music. Ethel Waters 1896 – 1977 Growing up in poverty in Chester, Pennsylvania, Ethel Waters became one of the most successful and highly paid entertainers of the early 20th century. The singer’s career began in 1911, where at the age of 15 she sang at a local Halloween party and wowed the crowd with her voice. Ethel found steady work as a singer and dancer on the vaudeville circuit with the nickname “Sweet Mama Stringbean”. In 1919, Waters moved to Harlem where she became the first artist to record for Black Swan Records in 1921. Her recordings of “Down Home Blues” and “Oh Daddy” became overnight hits and helped to make her a national star. Ethel sang at Carnegie Hall and headlined at the famed Cotton Club with Duke Ellington where she introduced her trademark song “Stormy Weather”, she also appeared on Broadway in “Blackbirds” and “As Thousands Cheer” as well as several other revues. In 1929, she made her film debut in “On with the Show” and later appeared in “Check and Double Check”. In 1949, Ethel was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in “Pinky”, a controversial film about American race relations. She received her 2nd nomination in 1950 for her performance in “The Member of the Wedding” based on the book by Carson McCullers. Ethel Waters died in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 81. Aaron Douglas 1899- 1979 Considered the father of African American Art, Aaron Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1899. Like many young African American men, Douglas came north during the Great Migration at the turn of the 20th century in search of a better life. In 1922, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska and began teaching in Kansas City. In 1925, he moved to Harlem, which was quickly becoming the center of a new movement toward African American cultural pride and identity. In Harlem he found great success, he was published in many magazines and books and was commissioned to create murals for the Countee Cullen Library as well as Fisk University. Douglas was the first artist to depict African Americans as proud, strong people with a rich African heritage in his artwork and to explore African art with contemporary themes. Emphasizing the need for a solid education, he continued to study and create art throughout his lifetime and in 1940 began to teach art at Fisk University where he eventually became Chair of the Art Department. The Harlem Renaissance Countee Cullen 1903- 1946 Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Poet Countee Cullen moved to New York City with his grandmother as a small child. After her death, he was adopted by Harlem minister Reverend Frederick A. Cullen and his wife Carolyn. Cullen, who became the most popular African American poet in America, began writing poetry in high school where he won his first literary contest with the poem “I Have a Rendezvous with Life”. After graduating from Harvard in 1927, he was frequently published in “Opportunity” and “Crisis” magazines where much of his poetry spoke of the strength and resolve of African American creativity and intellect in the face of racial discrimination as well as a feeling of alienation in his homeland. Countee Cullen died at the age of 43 in 1946. To honor his contribution to the Harlem Renaissance, a branch of the New York City Library was named The Countee Cullen Regional Library in 1951. By the end of the 1920’s, Harlem had become the center of African American culture in the United States. Looking for the better life that the northern urban cities promised due to the boom in the industrial jobs and the flourishing economy following World War I, many African Americans migrated from the south in search of good jobs. Harlem was originally called Nieuw Haarlem by Peter Stuyvesant, the last Dutch governor of New York when it was established in 1658. In the early 1900’s, with vacancy in apartments on the rise, and landlords looking for tenants who could pay rent, a young realtor by the name of Philip A. Payton saw this as a great opportunity to fill those apartments with African Americans. Soon Harlem became the largest Black community in the world and the new arrivals brought with them their culture, music and art. From 1918 to the 1929, the extraordinary number of artists, writers and musicians living in Harlem gave birth to a time in history called “The Harlem Renaissance”.
- Page 1 and 2: Michael Presser, Executive Director
- Page 3 and 4: Apollo Uptown Improvisation Opportu
- Page 5: Sophisticated Ladies On Broadway A
The Cotton Club<br />
Opened in 1920 under the name Club Deluxe, it changed<br />
owners in 1922 and was renamed The Cotton Club. Located<br />
on 142nd Street and Lennox Avenue, it hosted some of<br />
the best entertainment of the day including <strong>Duke</strong> <strong>Ellington</strong><br />
and his orchestra, who became the house band in 1927. Some other notable performers of<br />
the day included Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and the Nicholas<br />
Brothers. While the performers at the Cotton Club were of African American descent the club<br />
was segregated and admitted only white patrons. The Cotton Club enjoyed immense success<br />
from 1922 to 1936 at its Harlem location and then moved downtown to West 48th Street<br />
where it stayed until 1940. You can still visit the Cotton Club at its current location on 125th<br />
Street in Harlem or watch a recreation of it on film Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Cotton Club”<br />
Stompin<br />
at the<br />
Savoy<br />
During the 1920’s and 30’s, Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom was the place to<br />
go for dancing. Located on Lenox Avenue between 140th and 141st<br />
streets the Savoy was known downtown as the “Home of Happy Feet”<br />
while in Harlem is was simply known as “The Track”. Unlike the Cotton<br />
Club, the Savoy was an integrated club where both white and black<br />
dancers shared the floor. When you came to the Savoy, the color<br />
of your skin didn’t matter, what people really wanted to know was<br />
“Can you dance?” The Savoy was the hot spot for dance from the<br />
day it opened on March 12th 1926 until it closed on July 10th 1958.<br />
A plaque was placed on the site of the original ballroom in 2006.<br />
It’s Showtime…<br />
At the Apollo<br />
Known as the place “Where Stars are Born and Legends<br />
are Made”, the Apollo Theatre was built in 1914 and was<br />
originally called the Hurtig and Seamon Theatre. In 1934,<br />
Ralph Cooper decided to do a live version of his popular<br />
radio show “Amateur Hour at the Apollo” at the Apollo<br />
Theatre. Singer Ella Fitzgerald was one of the first winners.<br />
In 1935 Bessie Smith made her first appearance at the<br />
Apollo as did a young singer by the name of Billie Holiday.<br />
The Apollo quickly became a launching pad for many groups<br />
and performers including The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder,<br />
James Brown and Lauryn Hill. Today, the Apollo is still<br />
going strong with its “Showtime at the Apollo” talent show<br />
and hosting major performers<br />
from around the world.<br />
Suit Yourself<br />
Toward the end of 1930’s, zoot suits began to make their way onto the scene.<br />
In the urban Jazz culture of Harlem, the word “zoot” meant something<br />
exaggerated, either in style, sound or performance. Zoot suits were favored<br />
by young men who liked an extravagant way of dressing and considered<br />
themselves “hip cats”. The suit was for having fun, with baggy pants for<br />
dancing, and a long coat and wide brimmed hat to make the wearer look<br />
“grown up”. When <strong>Duke</strong> <strong>Ellington</strong> performed the song “Jump for Joy” at<br />
the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles in 1941, all of the performers wore zoot<br />
suits. However, the musician most identified with the zoot suit is fellow jazz<br />
great Cab Calloway. Today we see similar trends in style with young men<br />
wearing baggy pants and shirts as a way to express themselves.<br />
Take the A Train<br />
A TRAIN
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