January 23, 1943. Carnegie Hall. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra make their debut at the legendary venue. On the program is the premiere of Ellington’s new magnum opus – his three movement jazz symphony, “Black, Brown & Beige.” It is Ellington’s longest and most ambitious composition to date. Admittedly, the piece as a whole is under-rehearsed and rough in spots. But Duke is excited to use this stage-of-all-stages to make a grand statement on the Black condition.
He dubbed it, “a tonal parallel to the history of the Negro in America.” Within each movement, suites reflect components of the African-American experience, from slavery to Harlem to swing. Tympani portray the sounds of hard labor. Muted trumpets echo wails and work songs. There are spirituals and dance numbers. The work is rich and orchestral, but most assuredly jazz. Ellington makes sure his audience knows that jazz is America’s music – created by Black Americans.
Critical response to the Carnegie Hall performance is, at best, mixed. Discouraged by its tepid response, Ellington only performs “Black, Brown and Beige” once more before breaking it into pieces. Yet those pieces, like “Work Song,” and “Come Sunday,” collectively make the most powerful statement of all: We’ve come so far, but still have so far to go.
“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producer Dennis Green. Host: Hollis Monroe.
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Hey, Jazz fans, be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of pianists Eubie Blake and Sir Roland Hannah, drummers Chick Webb, Joe Dodge and Eddie Locke, bassist Walter Page and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of John Coltrane & Red Garland’s “Soultrane” (1958), “Larry Young In Paris: The ORTF Recordings” (1965), Ella Fitzgerald/Joe Pass “Fitzgerald and Pass… Again” (1976), Machito and His Salsa Big Band’s “1983 Grammy Award Winner” (1982), T.S. Monk’s “Monk on Monk” (1997) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on JAZZ MASTERS ‘on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
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Jazz Night in America
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Although Ira Sullivan performed with jazz luminaries like Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Art Blakey, his music is not as widely known among general audiences. He limited his touring performances and instead chose to focus on teaching at the esteemed Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, becoming one of the leading jazz educators in the U.S. Sullivan passed away in 2020, but his musical legacy lives on in a new recording project, “Ira The Tribute Album” by the Blue Road Records Band. The ensemble is made up of some of the sterling musicians who have made a home in South Florida, including one of Ira’s sons, guitarist Brev Sullivan, who brought his father’s complex charts to the recording sessions.
