Introduction

    The Harlem Renaissance, also known as "The New Negro Movement," was a time in history where African Americans used the culture of the arts to express their contempt with the unnerving racial issues that were still taking place in the United States. This movement was formed approximately fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Although African Americans were no longer physically constrained, many faced a mental and emotional struggle that often left them questioning their true identities. Seeing this, prominent leaders began to emerge. People such as W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, and James Wheldon Johnson realized that the African American people needed to rediscover themselves and be uplifted. Although these leaders spawned controversy in their own ways, they each believed that the African Americans deserved more then what they were giving. The Harlem Renaissance encompasses a variety of issues that was taking places through the years of 1919-1933. As a group, we came to the consensus that we would focus on the art, literature, and music of this time period. Through these forms of media, many doors opened up for African Americans. The main goal for equality may not have been reached, but exploring the journey that was traveled is worthwhile nonetheless.
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            Thank You,


                Kaleena Robertson
                Group 4
                AAF 202
                University of Rhode Island

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born April 29, 1899. Generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, Bob Blumenthal of the Boston Globe goes as far as saying, “In the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or otherwise, than Edward Kennedy Ellington." Ellington left a successful musical career in the nation’s capital to pursuit success in Harlem. Rumor has it that Duke was forced to hustle pool to get by early during his time in Harlem because of how competitive Harlem jazz was. Duke even was forced to go back to D.C. after his initial difficulties, but eventually returned in 1923 where he was hired as part of the house band at the famous Hollywood Club
In 1927, Ellington took over as the leader of the Cotton Club’s house band. This position was highly sought after and truly marked Ellington as a musical star.

Duke Ellington was equally famous for his composition abilities. For instance, he conducted the orchestra for a number of revues and theatrical performances throughout the 20’s. Due to the popularity of the Cotton Club, Ellington became an even bigger star and gained huge following not only in America but overseas in Europe as well. He was particularly beloved in England and performed there on several occasions in the late 20’s and 30’s. Ellington produced a plethora of jazz standards throughout his career. “Take the A Train” is almost universally recognized as a musical classic. However, his influence over the coming generations of African American musicians and composers, and the racial stereotypes and barriers that he helped tear down are even more impressive.

Musical Venues

An overlooked portion of jazz during the Renaissance, are the venues in which the music took place. Some of the ballrooms and theaters were as important as the musicians themselves.

For quite some time, The Apollo was the only major theatre in New York City to hire black talent. This may have lead to it’s popularity with African Americans during the Renaissance. The Apollo introduced it’s famous “Amateur Night” during the Harlem Renaissance and provided a first opportunity for some of the greatest jazz musicians of the time. For instance, Ella Fitzgerald sang at the Apollo on November 21, 1934 at the tender age of 17. Another important musical venue was the famous Savoy Ballroom also in Harlem. Opened in 1926 the ballroom unlike the Apollo was more suitable for dancing as well as musical performance. Located on Lenox Avenue, the Savoy Ballroom became a staple of African American culture and was synonymous with jazz. The ballroom was open to men and women of any color so it allowed for white and black Americans to mingle and dance with one another. It is rumored that the Charleston was created one evening in the ballroom. The Savoy Ballroom became immortalized in 1934 in the class big band song “Stompin at the Savoy”.

The Cotton Club was yet another supremely famous jazz night club in Harlem. The Cotton Club hosted some of the most famous and in demand musicians of the time including Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong. However, it is a fact that the Cotton Club was primarily a whites only venue. While the Cotton Club was important to African Americans in that it popularized jazz with the rich, it also was a detriment to racial equality by promoting stereotypes of African Americans.

James P. Johnson Vs. Willie "The Lion" Smith

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith was born in Goshen, New York in 1893. Better known as Willie “The Lion”, he became one of the fiercest pianists Harlem, and the rest of the world, had ever seen. Smith served in World War I where supposedly he earned his nickname from his bravery as a heavy artillery gunner. He returned to Harlem working as a pianist in night clubs and at rent parties where Smith he continued to improve the Harlem Stride Style. Willie “The Lion” was perhaps best known for his legendary cutting contests with James P. Johnson. Johnson was born on February, 1, 1894, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Like Smith, Johnson was a master of stride and was a regular at rent parties and night clubs. Johnson’s “Carolina Shout” has become on the most famous songs in jazz history. It is the standard piece for every aspiring pianist. Johnson perhaps most greatly influenced the future of the piano as he taught Fats Waller personally and Duke Ellington learned “Carolina Shout” note for note when learning the piano. Smith & Johnson’s music shows the clear difference between ragtime and stride as they incorporated free swinging rhythm, along with a steady pulsing of the left hand(as you can see in the video below) to simulate bass. Johnson and Smith often dueled each other in cutting contests and more often then not they came to a draw. However, during the battles neither one “cut” into the others song as was the norm. They both respected each other far too much for that and each recognized the others tremendous skill.

Fats Waller

Thomas “Fats” Waller was born in Harlem in 1904. As a child he learned to play the piano from James P. Johnson as well as Juilliard. Waller was a true personification of what jazz had evolved to in the 1920’s. Not only was he a supremely gifted musician, he was also a stage presence. His performances were as well known for their comedic qualities as the actual music he played. Waller was able find commercial success in Europe as well. This carries with it a particular significance as at the time he was one of the first African American jazz musicians to do so. Like all great New York pianists of the time, Waller was not a stranger to rent parties and cutting contests. Having been mentored by Harlem Stride legend James P. Johnson, Waller was a master Stride pianist himself and his fun loving personality made improvisation seem natural. Waller embodies the evolution of jazz and the piano that took place in the 1920’s from a standardized rich man’s music to a free flowing, creative art that could be enjoyed at Carnegie Hall as well as a back room party.

Jelly Roll Morton

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, more commonly known as Jelly Roll Morton, is widely recognized as one of the first true jazz musicians. Jelly Roll was perhaps best known for his confident and arrogant personality. While Jelly Roll would often times attribute the creation of jazz to him self, the first recognized jazz musician was Scott Joplin. He was however one of the first to use a style similar to the Harlem Stride Piano. Jelly Roll was a true master arranger and took ragtime and jazz music to new heights between 1915-1931. His improvisational and creative style inspired countless jazz pianists to break away from the rigid uniformity of traditional ragtime music. Originally from New Orleans, Jelly Roll moved to New York in 1928. There he was able to continue playing and recording music until the great depression eventually forced him back on tour. While in New York, Jelly Roll was able to play live sets regularly with jazz legends such as Sidney Bechet, Bud Freeman, Artie Shaw, and Omar Simeon.

Harlem Stride Piano

        The Harlem Stride Piano style is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of the music of the Harlem Renaissance. Up until then, Ragtime had been the popular style and limited the musicians creativity with it’s standard form and lack of creativity. In Harlem Stride, the pianist uses his left hand to play a four beat pulse throughout the song in an improvisational manner. Pianists were now encouraged to improvise and create new music on the spot. This new style gave New York, and Harlem especially, a unique quality that separated it from New Orleans, Chicago and any other Jazz metropolis. Harlem Stride inspired piano duels called cutting contests where two or more players would rip off improvised piano riffs until one man couldn’t keep up. These duels usually took place a rent parties, which were large parties in which the small fee at the door would be used to pay the apartment’s land lord that month.  The Harlem Stride Piano was key in distinguishing Harlem from the rest of the world musically at this time.