Word: ellington
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Jewish heritage. Douglas applies the word to the polyglot nature of the new culture, which was profoundly influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. Writers like Langston Hughes who settled in and around Strivers Row in Upper Manhattan gave distinctive voice to the aspirations of American blacks. "Aframerican" musicians like Duke Ellington entertained white audiences at Harlem's Cotton Club with an exotic new idiom, jazz, that became one of America's enduring gifts to the world...
Conveying images of the modern African-American experience through music is an idea as old as jazz itself. Recent years have seen a diminishing of the cold, hard appraisal of reality that marked the work of such greats as Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Jackie McLean. Geri Allen continues and updates this tradition of combining passionate music with commentary on the world around...
...Ellington, who for Bellson represented "the perfect bandleader," showed off the drummer in such memorable tunes as "Skin Deep." A seven-minute recording of that piece features more than three minutes of continuous drum solos, both bass drums pounding at top speed. Playing swing, jazz, orchestral and even sacred music for Ellington meant "always an element of surprise," commented Bellson, "It's an experience that you'll never forget...
When it came time to lead his own band, Bellson went on to follow in the Duke's footsteps; he has continued to do so. "I try to do what Ellington did," he confesses, adding "If I get an idea to write a solo vehicle for someone in the band, I write a solo vehicle." The groups with which Bellson has played all over the country feature many up-and-coming musicians; he has often played with youth orchestras and colleges, and he even expressed interest in coming to Harvard sometime the next year. Bellson says his involvement with young...
...developed as an artist, Bellson has expanded his roster of roles as bandleader and small group player to include a now constant occupation as composer. In his earlier years, groups led by Harry James, Count Basic and Duke Ellington performed his work. Recently, he has added classical premieres to his list of achievements. When asked about his influences, Bellson said, "I listen to everybody...to find what's current, what's going on." As recent musical inspirations, Bellson cited funk, swing and Jamaican music...