Duke University

circumstances did not consume his passion, because through Staryhorn’s miraculous musical creativity he left a legacy in the advancement of jazz. The peak of Staryhorns career began at his risky choice to attempt to try and attain some type of position with Duke Ellington, whom was very popular and well-off during this time. Given the opportunity to perform on the piano in from of Ellington, Strayhorn clearly impressed him, however Ellington was still unsure of what to do because he already…

They’ll call it a mystery, but we’re gonna call it Victory. We’ll be writing history, it’s gon be victory. This stanza, from the featured track ‘I See A Victory’ in the movie Hidden Figures, gives a basic overview of the theme. Hidden Figures a non-fiction novel by Margot Lee Shetterly, follows the stories of three black women who aided the U.S in the victory of the space race. It follows the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine G. Johnson, and Mary Jackson, who each contributed in their own…

1. American society drastically changed after World War 1 and during the 1920’s. The era in the 1920s were known as the “Jazz Age”, despite the different racial groups jazz became a popular form of music, even got accepted to white Americans. Every weekend a variety of people would go into club like Cotton located in Chicago and, listen to jazz performed by African Americans. As the same token as, the commercial radio. The airwaves became the medium to hear their news and entertainment. Its…

Doreen Ketchens is the leader of the group called Doreen's Jazz New Orleans. Their reason for having a band is to spread the culture and the traditional music of New Orleans all over the world. This is what music should be all about. Doreen has a special way to express emotions in her music which touches the hearts of her fans. She is called many things such as "Clarinet Queen", "The female Louis Armstrong", and “Lady Louie”. She has performed with many other jazz players. Ellis Marsalis, Jon…

Sarah Vaughan was surrounded by music at birth. She was born in Newark, New Jersey to a father who played guitar and a mother who played organ for her church. Her interest in music began at an early age. Sarah started talking piano and organ lessons when she was seven years old; she also sang in her church’s choir. At age 12 she began subbing in to play organ for the church when her mother couldn’t. When she was eighteen years old Sarah was dared by her friends to enter an amateur singing…

Cuban jazz pianist and composer, David Virelles, has been widely solicited by the attentive musicians on the current scene, who immediately recognized his outstanding creative capabilities. In the recent past, he has played key roles in projects led by trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and saxophonists Henry Threadgill and Chris Potter. As a leader, Virelles always brings heritage into the game, and both Continuum (Pi Recordings, 2012) and Mboko (ECM, 2015) received accolades from the specialized media…

The History of Jazz Music. What I Already Knew / What I Wanted to Know I Have always liked jazz music. When I got older, I realized there were plenty of different kinds of jazz. Last year in music, I was briefly able to research the topic. I wasn't able to find very much in that small amount of time, so I thought it would be a good idea to do it now. I know there are many different types of jazz music. I also know that there are many artist that influenced the evolution of jazz. Now I want…

Roy Vondrasek 10-22-17 Keyboards Duke Ellington Duke Ellington was an amazing keyboardist. He was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington DC. He was understandably musical and began piano training at age 7. Both of his parents were musical, however his dad, James Edward Ellington, was a butler at the White House. Religion played a big role in his life; his mother was a baptist and his father was a methodist. He got a scholarship from Pratt for art but he turned it down to pursue music. His move…

In “Sonny’s Blues,” Harlem is clearly illustrated as a dank and unclean city that boasted little hope or incentive for ambition for those that resided there. The lack of opportunity led to high levels of poverty, and in turn influenced many in the area to resort to crime, alcoholism, and drugs for comfort. Throughout the 1920s, Harlem was a place of progression, art, and activism. Dubbed the “Harlem Renaissance,” this era in American history was significant for the black community as a whole.…

Billie Holiday is considered one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia and died on July 17, 1959. Billie Holiday struggled in her early life which was why she moved to New York and began her career, but she encountered problems even though she was successful. Billie Holiday did not live in a peaceful home while growing up. Born in Philadelphia, her birth name was Eleanor Fagan. She spent much of her childhood in Baltimore with her…