Mike Duke

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…

Research Project A comparison of “Koko” and “So What” “Koko” as well as “So What” are two of the most influential and famous pieces pertaining to Jazz. With “Koko” being composed and performed by Charlie “Bird” Parker and “So What” being composed and performed by Miles Davis. These two musicians are no doubt heavily involved in the development of jazz and are two of the most renowned musicians in the world. “Koko” was composed in the early 1940’s, where as “So What” was composed in the late…

This Documentary concerning American jazz trumpeter as well as singer Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong's (known as Satchmo or Pops) basic declaration to his initial life is a fun and incredible read. Composed with extraordinary realism, Louis conveyed a rousing story starting from his origination, to his existence with his grandmother, to his initially cherish (which was extremely disagreeable), to his initially separation (which I believe was beneficial for him), to his initially enterprise…

Music has been around for thousands of years. It is a way in which one can express or share their feelings and emotions in an artistic and lyrical manner. It is of importance because, depending on what you listen to, it can provide encouragement, motivations, and even joy. Moreover, there are a wide variety of types and genres of music that are around. Throughout history, music has been evolving and new genres had been created. As of today, there are hundreds if not thousands of music genres…

Charlie Parker also known as “Yardbird” or “Bird” was born on August 29, 1920 and died on March 12, 1955. He was one of the most important and influential saxophonists and jazz players of the 1940’s. A legendary figure in his own lifetime, he was idolized by those who worked with him, and he inspired a generation of jazz performers and composers. Charlie had a magnetic personality; wherever he would walk into he would change the feel of the room. He started studying music in a local school in…