Duke Ellington was one of the most influential jazz musicians ever. In a time when music was going through a transformation from a ragtime style to a jazz-blues mix, Duke was there to add his own style. He was a composer, conductor, and pianist who revolutionized the way music was written and earned...

Jazz was one of the influential aspects that African-American relied on, to escape reality, express their feelings, or just have fun. Jazz began to flourish during the 1920's, which in turn came to be known as the Golden Age of Jazz. During this time of jazz one of the famous ones that became...

I am the Duke; the Duke of jazz that is. I have earned it. I have won thirteen Grammy's. I was the first jazz musician to be elected as a member of the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm. I have been honored with the Legion of Honor by the French government. And by the end of my fifty year care...

In the article "Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name," James Lincoln Collier explains that anxiety is a very common part of our life in our society and that to defeat anxiety is to confront it and face it as we grow and learn from it instead of backing away. Collier uses several of his perso...

I remember it like it was yesterday, the day that I rose from the ashes at the Newport Jazz Festival of 1956. Our orchestra was just there to represent the older type of big jazz band, but we represented much more that night. It was a cold, moonless evening and everyone was there; everyone from reco...

J.J. Johnson was born James Louis in Indianapolis on January 22, 1924. At the age of nine, Johnson became very interested with music thus learning the piano with a church organist. He took further interest in music once he attended Crispus Attucks Senior High school playing the. He started out pl...

In the early 1900s, particularly in the 20s and early 30s, African American literature, art, music, and dance began to flourish in Harlem, a section of New York City. Variously known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end ...

The Roaring Twenties was a time of prosperity in the United States and characterized by significant social and cultural trends. The Twenties were a post-war period like most post-war periods an individualistic movement. The country was no longer concerned with international issues but turned inward ...

What is Jazz? According to the dictionary, jazz is defined as, "A kind of syncopated, highly rhythmic music originated by Southern blacks in the late 19th century" ("Jazz" 232). But, everyone should at least agree that jazz is the mother of all music, and is referred to as ...

Jazz at Home in America Jazz is a mixture of culture, rhythm, and blues. It is a melting of many different people and there heritage. This American musical form often-improvisational development by African Americans, and influence by both European harmonic structure and African rhythms. Du...

The world sometimes gives birth to creative and innovative individuals. These rare men often leave their mark on the world, forever changing a facet of our society and culture. The arts, specifically music and jazz, have had a more volatile history than perhaps any other genre in the spectrum of pop...

Entertainment in the Jazz Age Since the beginning of time, humans have found ways to entertain themselves. Of course these forms of entertainment have changed drastically from then till now. One of the most influential decades of modern entertainment was the Jazz Era, or the 1920&ap...

Entertainment in the Jazz Age Since the beginning of time, humans have found ways to entertain themselves. Of course these forms of entertainment have changed drastically from then till now. One of the most influential decades of modern entertainment was the Jazz Era, or the 192...

"To me passion is so essential...it hurts any kind of dance when there's no artistry. There are just feats." - Donald McKayle Born in July 6th 1930 in New York City, Donald McKayle first gained an intense interest and admiration in dance more than half a century ago aft...

Indeed, there is a considerable rift between approaching a historical subject from either the perspective of an oral tradition of history or according to a more standard practice that privileges documentary evidence and historical fact over narrative, anecdote, and experience. Of course, there are r...

Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates Clayton Bates was born in 1907, in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. As a young boy, he worked in the cotton fields and his mother was a nurse for a white family. Clayton hated his job though, and his true love was dancing. Some days, he would secretly go t...

Louis Daniel Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901. Although he was born on August 4, 1901, he celebrated it on July 4, 1900. He did this because it was what he was told and therefore believed. Louis came from a poor family in New Orleans. His father, Willie Armstrong, worked as a laborer, and he...

During the 1920s new economic interests and interactions came into light. These combined with the development of the arts and entertainment helped to form the reputation for the "Roaring Twenties". Economics now allowed people to spend more and make more money. The arts and entertainme...

During the 1920s new economic interests and interactions came into light. These combined with the development of the arts and entertainment helped to form the reputation for the "Roaring Twenties". Economics now allowed people to spend more and make more money. The arts and entertainme...

There have been countless hours when I sit with my saxophone in my fingers, then unsure, as they grasp each key in the tiresome effort of learning a new audition piece. At those times, all I do is stare despairingly at the long road of practicing, which faces me. The slow progression to a finished...

On the evening of November 11,1999, the Southwest Texas Trombone Ensemble provided the audience with a truly wonderful performance. Starting with Sonata No.1 for Trombone Choir by Evan Copley, the ensemble exhibited fabulous variety in both the note and the speed at which they were playing. This s...

The Harlem Renaissance can easily be compared to the European Renaissance that began in the 14th century. The European Renaissance included a series of literary and cultural movements in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. These movements began in Italy and eventually expanded into Germany, France, ...

Cabell Cab Calloway III lived an exciting and sometimes turbulent life - from street hustling as a young boy to performing in movies as well as for presidents. Cab is probably best known for his many years of live entertaining around the world. From his early days performing at such speakeasies as t...

Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz musicians and one of the greatest jazz musicians of the world. He is also one of the most influential musicians in the jazz music and its history. He had a special voice which by some people was called a "gravel-voice". The style that he p...

The Harlem Renaissance was a period for blacks to engage in life. Life, which consists of good, evil, happiness, sadness, communication and expression, was more like a prison built on a foundation of hardship, suppression and all the counter parts of the good things, the things worth living for. Bu...