Black History Month, day 13
Our country’s biggest contributions to world music are jazz, blues, rock and roll, and hip hop. All four arose largely–in the case of jazz, blues, and hip hop, almost exclusively–from the African-American community. Thanks, black America, for putting my country on the musical map. I especially thank you for funk, too, though I don’t think I can make the case that it has had quite the influence of jazz.
So I don’t think there’s been a decade of US history that was not characterized by black music that would change the musical world. Still, the 20s and 30s were extraordinary. I wrote about some art and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance yesterday and the day before. Another star of the Harlem Renaissance was Duke Ellington, whose music I won’t try to describe; “writing about music is like dancing about architecture,” at least when I try it. Ellington himself advised “You’ve got to find a way of saying it without saying it” (great advice for an artist in any medium), so let’s just let the music speak for itself. If you have an Ellington recording in the house, won’t you go put it on and soak up some of your heritage as a world citizen? And if you don’t, here are a few great recordings: Ellington himself playing “In a Sentimental Mood” with John Coltrane:
Or if you like your jazz tamer, and/or like to hear the words, here’s Ella Fitzgerald a few years earlier:
My favorite rendition is when my wife plays it, but I’m sentimental that way.
Another Ellington classic, played by Ellington:
And here, sung by Billie Holiday:
Sermons in Stones 
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February 14, 2012 at 10:20 am
Roger
Amy, thanks so much for spotlighting a brilliant composer and orchestra leader whose music is both sophisticated and approachable.
It’s fascinating to compare his earliest work with later recordings, seeing how he moved away from the cutesy, almost slapstick style of 1920’s jazz to a more elegant and dignified approach that still swung like crazy. For example, compare East St. Louis Toodle-Oo as recorded in the late ‘20’s with New East St. Louis Toodle-Oo from the late ‘30s. There are brilliant moments in both, but by the late ‘30s Duke definitely knew he could please an audience without making them giggle.
You’ll find both the old and the new version in the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, or search on line through Ellington collections to locate this number. A late ‘20s version is also available as an MP3 download.
Roger Schriner
February 14, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Amy Zucker Morgenstern
Thanks for the tip! We may have that collection.
February 18, 2012 at 9:57 am
David Zucker
The period from 30s through half of 50s unsurpassed in jazz, most if not all the musicians and vocalists, being African American. Pops, Duke, Basie, and one of my favorites, all whitegroup, Dave Brubeck. From late 40s on there is Be bop, which at first I didn’t like but have taken to it: tops of course for me is Bird, Miles Davis, etc etc. (some senior moments here in remembering). The great female vocalists were swing and torch style, Billie, of course, also Sarah Vaughan, Ella, many others. The late great Whitney Huston didn’t have that swing and jazz style, mainly pop. But a great voice.
Black people dominated jazz and blues because they were intimately tied to that music –it was their birthright– and because, face it, they had few opportunities, musically or anything else. They left a great heritage. While typing this I’m listening to Billie Holiday and Lester Young (in a side role on alto sax). Doesn’t great any more thrilling, aesthetically pleasing, or memorable. Sweet to the ear, forever.
February 19, 2012 at 7:40 am
Amy Zucker Morgenstern
I’m partial to that period of jazz too. Even though I grew up with some more recent, “out there” jazz, thanks to what you and Mom had playing, I’ve never acquired the ear to hear what’s going on with it. But I’m open to it, which is why I included the Coltrane version above.