From their 1927 opening at the famed Cotton Club nightclub in Harlem, Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra (as they were officially billed) set the highest standards for musicality, solo improvisation, imaginative ideas and classy presentation.Duke wrote and recorded thousands of tunes, performing...
Born in Harlem, and raised in the Fulton housing projects in Manhattan, Wayans and his siblings always had a penchant for making each other laugh. Although he was inspired by the legendary standup comedian Richard Pryor, Wayans put his comedy aspirations on hold to attend Tuskegee University on...
Born in Harlem, and raised in the Fulton housing projects in Manhattan, Wayans and his siblings always had a penchant for making each other laugh. Although he was inspired by the legendary standup comedian Richard Pryor, Wayans put his comedy aspirations on hold to attend Tuskegee University on...
In anold interviewwith actor and writer Stanley Dyrector, Brown said he was always performing as a child. He said much of his experience as “on-the-job training.” His nightclub experience helped prepare him for Broadway. Brown’s infectious laughter and award-winning smile captured the heart...
(1940) 63 min. Ralph Cooper in gangster film set in Harlem. Double feature with: Moon Over Harlem (1939) 68 min. A girl’s mother marries a philanderer, who then pursues the daughter. When caught, the mother throws her out into the world of Broadway shows. Harlem GangstersSpecial Program...
The band had a residency at the London nightclub Café de Paris. Ken Snakehips Johnson was Britain's first black swing bandleader. Above is a video of "Oh Daddy!" (1935) by Ken "Snakehips" Johnson. photo taken by Brian O'Connor, courtesy of allaboutjazz.com Frank Holder Jazz Musician...
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an iconic figure in the American music industry. Born on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama, he embarked on a career that spanned three decades and saw him rise from a struggling nightclub singer ...
Her professional life saw highs and lows, with her popularity waning in the 1960s due to a series of box-office flops. Despite these setbacks, Mansfield remained dedicated to her craft, resorting to stage performances and nightclub acts when film offers became scarce. Her resilience and ...
As Haitian police and the FBI kept close watch on the faltering Haitian leftist movement, Hudicourt continued his political activity from exile in Harlem, New York. He attacked the Lescot government and US policy in the Caribbean and networked with other progressive intellectuals. His works from...
Troup's troops built huts, a nightclub, a boxing ring, and formed a jazz band and orchestra. His immensely popular song "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66," was recorded, at different times, by Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, and The Rolling Stones. Troup wrote the theme song of the 1950s...