Duke Ellington

1. The nineteenth century was an era known for growing and developing. The nation as a whole took on a sense of nationality and independence. The people of the nation wanted a better life, so they went out and got it. Artist and writers were the ones who sparked the fire that the started to people to move on with their plans. One of the most important artists that sparked the fire under the working class was Edouard Manet. Edouard was considered to be a Flaneur, which is a man that strolls the…

The 1920’s and 30’s were significant decades for America. The Roaring 20’s are often characterized with great effervescence; a time of speakeasies, flashy parties, excessive wealth, good fortune, and jazz music. Jazz music, at the time, was the rhythm of the people. It moved with their joy and beat with their jubilance. But in 1929, everything changed. Tragedy struck, and the Great Depression befell the country like a suffocatingly thick blanket, smothering the flame of the American people.…

America was once described as baseball and apple pie. The Cold War forced Americans to choose the status quo of traditional American life or to face a new modernized age. The United States being a superpower in the Cold War locked horns with the very powerful Soviet Union over which form of economic and political system was best. The struggle for power in both countries was fought with espionage, nuclear deterrent, propaganda and a space race. The Cold War had formed a new frontier of changes,…

Cannabis & Culture With origins dating back 10,000 years, the psychoactive Cannabis plant, or commonly known as marijuana, has swept the globe as one of the oldest agricultural plants. Stemming from Eastern Asia, using exportation of goods and exploration as a tool to travel the world, it has left roots scattered across every continent (excluding Antarctica). Its use has varied from helping to reach a state of euphoria, to being used in textiles, which has helped countries such as China and…

of music came into the scene and it was the Big Band Era, this was the type of music that was jazz and swing music. Swing music is a strong music with double bass, typically dancing music. The main founders of this band was Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Glenn Gray, Chick Webb , and Jimmie Lunceford. The main person who was called the King of Swing was Benny Goodman. After the swing came the Rhythm and Blues. Each of these types of music had and huge outcome on music and made allot of…

The United States of America has been one of many great countries to lead the world in technology, politics, and art. Music has existed in various forms such as rhythm and melody since the day human beings could hear and feel. Jazz is a genre of music that was born in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This broad genre of music has roots that pull from pre-existing elements that are traced back to African-American slave culture. Some of those elements include single line melodies…

Jazz and flappers are typically what comes to mind when the 1920’s are mentioned, however, there are many other events and trends that define the era the roaring Twenties. After World War I, the United States economy boomed due to industry expansion and a larger workforce, which in turn, caused families to have more disposable income. The 1920’s were a turning point for the nation with new outlooks on fashion and pop culture truly making the decade exuberant and fast wheeling. The 1920s were a…

“The role of education is to teach students about the unique and exceptional historical events that made the United States of America the greatest nation humanity has ever seen.” This statement, although many would like to believe in it, is a lie. For centuries Americans have declared the United States “the greatest nation in the world,” “leader of the free world,” a place of “life, liberty, and happiness,” a place where anyone could achieve the “American dream.” This mindset, is the belief of…

Billie Holiday Also known as “Lady Day” and born Eleanora Fagan, Billie Holiday was one of the most prolific jazz singers of her time and also made a significant contribution to the civil rights movement occurring during her life. She is widely regarded as a unique and important figure in the in the jazz community and has relevance even 50 years after her death. GROWING UP: Billie Holiday was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1915 to Sarah Fagan and Clarence Holiday. She had a very tough…

Jazz is one of the most popular American music genres that arose in the past decade. Jazz has developed around the late 19th century to early 20th century, the time frame when music was an essential part of America. It was an entertainment for everyone who was worn out by the tragedy and misery that arose from ongoing wars. The many music genres that were formed during that time contributed their best traits and formed the well known Jazz. The representative music genres were Ragtime and Blues.…