Duke Ellington

“Cultural civil war” (Digital History), Symbolizes the era of the 1920's. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald labeled this decade the Jazz Age. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, he criticized the exterior and possessive lives of Americans after the war. The traditional lifestyles were fading away while the luxurious, party lifestyle flourished. Throughout the 1920's Americans continually tested the universal image of desired behavior. The decade was shaped by wealth, parties, moonshine, and sexually…

because of what other people will not let you do because of your ethnicity. Blacks have built America with the whites telling them how and when to do it, and yet some still feel as if they can’t enjoy the freedom that most of us take for granted. Duke Ellington states, “We were freed, and as before we fought Americans wars, provided her labor, and gave her music, kept alive flickering conscience, until we came more than a part of America.”…

of Jazz,” it was his music that was first called by that name [5]. Ragtime remains as an integral part of the development of jazz, and various elements of rag are still distinguishable in jazz music. The next generation of jazz legends, such as Duke Ellington, was influenced…

A Perspective of Rock and Roll’s Impact on Society “Rock and roll keeps you in a constant state of juvenile delinquency,” stated Eddie Spaghetti; this quote captures the essence of Rock and Roll. It speaks its truth about the influence on attitudes towards authority and implies how society reacted to the new revolution created by Rock and Roll, transforming the world into what it has become today. The music of rock and roll influenced the social and cultural beliefs of youth and threatened the…

imagine, while a synesthete paints what they actually visualize when experiencing a certain stimulus. Many famous celebrities involved with music and art have synesthesia including Billy Joel, Vincent Van Gogh, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Duke Ellington (WC #4). However, some people with sound-color synesthesia, their musical ability may be affected by their synthetic experience.A person will see a sound as a color when hearing a sound. This makes it difficult for the musician to see…

The days of the “field holler” and Duke Ellington forced to do radio in order to mask his racial identity are long gone. As we evolved as a nation, we went from hiding African American musical styles to bringing them to the forefront. In today’s society, we see an interesting spectacle occurring…

The Harlem Renaissance is termed to imply the social, cultural and artistic emergence that happened in the town of Harlem after the end of World War I up to the 1930s. In this period, the town was the “center of culture, art, music, photography, poetry and music” (Bloom 13) portrayed by the blacks. Due to the oppression in the southern states, many blacks had fled and settled in the North in search of an environment they could freely express themselves through their talents. Some of the famous…

In the 1920’s, which was also known as the Roaring Twenties, many women lived their lives day by day. Many women were open to new ideas, including new cultural beliefs and the start of new household technologies. During this innovative era, woman started to gain a sense of importance and independence in society. This included being granted the right to vote, expressing themselves through songs and dancing and also marrying for love and ending unhappy marriages. With all of this being said and…

The Magnificent Motown Records There story of Motown Records is a story about the dreams and determination by one man incorporated with the aspirations of many others culminating into the realization of a tremendous music and cultural change throughout the world. Berry Gordy, a young man whose great- grandfather was an enslaved person of African descent, established a legacy that still resonates throughout the world even today. The Gordy family comes from humble beginnings in Georgia,…

Bald Eagle Times #58 Music in WWII To the faithful readers of the Bald Eagles Times: In contrast to the other recently published articles, this is not your typical war story. In fact, it is not even directly related to the war. It is actually a story of the evolution of music leading up to and even throughout the war. Music, it is safe to say, is what kept the nation together. It gave us a fallback which we could all enjoy, regardless of our situation in life, race, or economical status. In…