Duke Ellington Starring in “The Evolution of Jazz”Written by David Kunstek
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While Duke's band was performing at Cotton Club, his band participated in more than sixty-four recording sessions. In 1931 Duke grew so tired of show-business routines that he decided to try his luck again on his own. When he arrived in New York his band grew to almost three times what it originally had been at Cotton Club. Duke feared that this would become a very serious problem considering how stock market crashed in late 1929 and millions of people across United States were out of work. Somehow, though, most of entertainment business survived economic hardships. Ellington's band had appeared on Broadway and had even gone to Hollywood to make a movie. Duke's band was having a hard time performing in south because of segregation laws not allowing blacks to eat in white restaurants or finding accommodations that would allow blacks and whites to stay together in a half-decent room. In 1932 Duke added a trombonist named Lawrence Brown. In same year, most of other big bands were adding vocalists to their ensemble and thus Duke felt pressured to do so too. Duke then hired a woman named Ivie Anderson and quickly proved that he had done right thing. Then in 1933 his band got a chance to play in Europe. At first Duke was very skeptical of how his music would be reacted to just because jazz had its roots in America and Europeans had a very contrasting style of music. The band managed to talk Duke into believing idea was a good one. The band's first stop was England. The band was amazed at how well informed they were about their entire past. Even Prince of Wales came to hear band play. At time prince was an amateur drummer and Sonny Greer Showed prince how to work drum set and they played together and in end were calling each other 'Sonny' and 'The Wale'. All concerts held in England were sellouts. The band then moved on to Scotland, and then Paris, France where their music was greeted with open arms. When Duke's band returned to America band really began feeling hardship and sorrow of traveling on road, being separated from loved ones. Also, many of band members, including Duke, began developing drinking problems and started making some of musicians lives miserable. What made things worse was fact that Duke's mother, Daisy, died in May of 1935 that set Duke into a deep depression and he used to sit and stare into space while he talked to himself. Fortunately though, those long pep-talks with himself seem to snap Duke out of his depression. But despite everything band survived and in 1946 a saxophonist/clarinetist named Russell Procope joined band and brought everyone up to a new point of view about traveling on road. Around time that Procope joined band Duke invented a new song called 'Reminiscing in Tempo' and was not looked upon favorably by critics but it did seem to sum everything up that was written by Ellington from 1931 to 1939 in a combination of gladness, sadness, triumph, and tragedy. But then Duke's friend Arthur Whetsol became and had to leave band. Then future of band seemed uncertain as depression continued and millions of people were still out of work. Until around 1935 when 'Swing Era' hit U.S. Irving Mills had then formed his own record company in 1936 that boomed with popularity as demand for big bands playing this new swing music was in intense demand. Later on Duke hired a lyrical writer named Billy Strayhorn that led a premature death in 1967. But when Strayhorn was with band he wrote many compositions that often went into band's book of music. Then in 1942 Duke hired one of best tenor saxophonists ever and let him play first tenor sax solo ever arranged by Duke Ellington. In 1951 Saxophonist Johnny Hodges, trombonist Lawrence Brown, and Sonny Greer left band together and formed their own band but then in 1955 Sonny Greer returned to band and stayed with Duke until his death in 1970. And then by 1950's Ellington band was carrying on almost alone. By 1972 times and styles of world no longer fit old time style of Duke's band. The band was not known like it used to be and that could be point in time I suppose you could say that band broke up. Duke Ellington's career spanned whole history of birth of music called jazz. And nowhere in that glorious history is there a man who had more love for music, more respect for his art, than man they called Duke.David Kunstek writes for Http://www.ShotGlassShelf.com – Display Cases for Shot Glass Collector, and Http://www.Secret-Deals.com – Every day discounts on Brand Name Merchandise Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared; Mailto:webmaster@secret-deals.com
David Kunstek writes for Http://www.ShotGlassShelf.com – Display Cases for the Shot Glass Collector, and Http://www.Secret-Deals.com – Every day discounts on Brand Name Merchandise Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared; Mailto:webmaster@secret-deals.com
| | Do you know your Country? Origin of Country Music QuizWritten by Robert Harper
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5) What female country singer joined forces with Moe Bandy to sing song,"It's a Cheatin' Situation"? A. Charly McClain B. Tammy Wynette C. Jan Howard D. Martha Carson ----- 6) Hank Williams Sr. called his son Hank Jr. "Bocephus". Where did name "Bocephus" come from? A. Artwork from a World War II bomber. B. Comedian Rod Brasfield's vetriloquist dummy. C. Name of town drunk in Huntsville, Alabama. D. None of above. (Answers) 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. C 5. A 6. B -----Resources: top-country-songs.com 1) The Movie Roadie: How Meatloaf Tried To Kill Me http://www.bobsokol.com/roadie/default.htm 2) Country Music Magazine, March 2002 3) More Memories, Ralph Emery with Tom Carter (Paperback)
Robert Harper owns Harper's Distribution in El Paso, Texas. Robert writes, "I'm a country music fan, and I love talking and writing about country music." Sometimes I find really juicy news (especially if it involves money) and I'll blab it to the whole world. Website: http://www.top-country-songs.com
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