“Accent on Youth,” by Sam Bishoff

February 26th, 2013

 

Sam Bishoff, a high school student from Bainbridge Island, Washington, is the 2012 Jerry Jazz Musician Accent on Youth writer. His passion for jazz and the challenges he faces as
a youthful fan of it is the focus of the column.

_____

This column was originally published on June 9, 2012

*

Listen to Dinah Washington sing Accent On Youth

__________

Duke Ellington: Demanding Cultural Respect One Note at a Time

 

__________________________________________

The vocalist, actor and black activist, Paul Robeson, one said, “In my music, my plays, my films, I want to carry always this central idea: to be African” (“Black”). This way of thinking, of celebrating African roots, became extremely important to black artists of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. No one embraced this approach more readily than the world famous jazz band leader, Duke Ellington. While he was not an outspoken voice in the civil rights movement, Ellington still made a tremendous impact, using respect and dignity rather than confrontation or anger to promote equality. Using the common language of music, the popularity of musicals, and the explosion of jazz into the popular music scene, Duke Ellington promoted the importance of African Americans, and inspired blacks everywhere to “command, rather than demand, respect for the race” (Anderson).

Ellington promoted civil rights ideals by taking advantage of black and white audiences’ love for his music. He composed several extended jazz suites, many of which showed unparalleled pride for his people and celebrated the legacy of African Americans. In Black, Brown and Beige: A Tone Parallel to the History of the American Negro, a forty minute suite that Ellington premiered at Carnegie Hall, Ellington “illustrated black history from the African continent to the African American contribution in World War II” (Cohen). Using his music as a medium, Ellington argued the importance of the black contribution to the modern world. Timing could not have been better. The year was 1943 and Ellington’s illustration of the black war effort took advantage of pro-WWII sentiment (Cohen). The power of Ellington’s message was that he presented it in a way that was also appealing to white Americans. Unlike the tactics of many other black activists which often alienated whites, Ellington’s approach embraced white audiences and influenced rather than forced change. Harvey G. Cohen even suggested that Ellington fused black and white America and therefore “softened the enemy” so that they would be more accepting of change. While Ellington’s shorter and more popular compositions certainly paid the bills, his true passion was for his extended pieces and for the promotion of his people. “For a long time, social protest and pride in black culture and history have been the most significant themes in what we’ve done” (Hentoff, “The Duke”). Ellington wrote prolifically in this area, producing numerous jazz suites, such as Black Beauty, Harlem Suite, and Black and Tan Fantasy which all musically illustrated the beauty of the African American (Hentoff, “Duke Ellington”).

Taking his civil rights efforts beyond music, Ellington promoted black pride to even larger audiences through the creation of several musicals. Most notably, Ellington produced Jump for Joy, an all-black musical that as Ellington said, “would take Uncle Tom out of the theater, eliminate the stereotyped image that had been exploited by Hollywood and Broadway, and say things that would make the audience think” (Holmes). The musical did say some controversial things. For one, the entire production was meant as a humorous criticism of Jim Crow laws and southern segregation (Cohen). In addition to making the audience think, it also made the performers think. Ellington was very intent on promoting black pride in his show and so he prohibited any of the actors from donning blackface or saying their lines in black “dialect”. While a few of the show’s comedians complained at first, they soon realized that they could be successful without playing down their race and “came off stage smiling…with tears running down their cheeks. They couldn’t believe it” (Holmes). Ellington succeeded in doing two important things with the production of Jump for Joy. First, he gave African Americans in both the cast and the audience something to be proud of. Secondly, and even more importantly, he proved that black pride could and should be part of popular culture and remain at the front of the public mind.

Finally, arguably Ellington’s most significant contribution to black civil rights was his promotion of jazz. The reason this contribution was so important is that jazz is a distinctly black invention and contribution to American society. Ellington loved to think of jazz as the American classical music, and at times he emphasized African Americans’ role by calling it “Negro music” (Cohen). His point was that jazz, a combination of the structure of Western classical and black traditional music, was a respectable and legitimate art form that came from a respectable and legitimate race. Ellington knew that “jazz…exploded the dichotomy between high and low cultures by bridging the gap between classical and vernacular art”, and he made sure that the audience knew this too (Anderson). He was proving to audiences that to respect the music was to respect the race. Ellington was by far the leader in jazz’s promotion. He and his band carried themselves in a respectable manner, always sharply dressed and professional. The growth of their popularity paralleled the growth of jazz’s popularity and critical recognition, and they brought the music from the speak-easy clubs of the 20’s to Carnegie Hall and the White House. This incredible growth and development in cultural recognition was an important and necessary step in black civil rights and owed much of its success to the efforts of Duke Ellington.

There is understandably a long history of animosity between white and blacks in America. However, a major reason for this tension lies in the great difference between white and black culture. We fear what we do not understand. That is why Duke Ellington played such an important role in the civil rights movement and the progression of equality. He gained respect and understanding of the black culture from his white audiences, thereby building trust and brotherhood between two very different peoples. He did so by harnessing the one thing they shared in common; music, that wonderful universal language. He was not outspoken or confrontational in his actions only because he had learned it paid to “advance the politics of race through music, lifestyle, and image, but rarely words” (Cohen).

*

Works Cited

Anderson, Iain. “Duke Ellington’s America.” The Journal of American History 98.1 (2011): 255-

. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 24 May 2012.

“Black Pride.” African American Quotes. Web. 24 May 2012.

Cohen, Harvey G. “Duke Ellington and Black, Brown and Beige: The Composer as Historian at

Carnegie Hall.” American Quarterly 56.4 (2004): 1003-34. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 24 May 2012.

Hentoff, Nat. “Duke Ellington and the D.C. Law School.” The Village Voice: 18. ProQuest

Research Library. Nov 19 1991. Web. 24 May 2012 .

—. “The Duke, in Private.” Wall Street Journal: A12. Los Angeles Times; National

Newspapers Core; The Wall Street Journal. Dec 09 1991. Web. 24 May 2012 .

Holmes, Emory. “When the A Train Hit L.A. ” Los Angeles Times: 8. Los Angeles Times;

National Newspapers Core. Apr 25 1999. Web. 17 May 2012 .

______________________________

Sam Bishoff

*

Sam Bishoff, a high school student from Bainbridge Island, Washington, is the 2012 Jerry Jazz Musician Accent on Youth writer. His passion for jazz and the challenges he faces as
a youthful fan of it is the focus of the column.

You can contact Sam at: [email protected]

———-

You can read Sam’s previous column on the next page

Share this:

One comments on ““Accent on Youth,” by Sam Bishoff”

Comment on this article:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A Letter From the Publisher

An appeal for contributions to support the ongoing publishing efforts of Jerry Jazz Musician

In This Issue

The Modern Jazz Quintet by Everett Spruill
A Collection of Jazz Poetry — Summer, 2023 Edition

A wide range of topics are found in this collection. Tributes are paid to Tony Bennett and Ahmad Jamal and to the abstract worlds of musicians like Ornette Coleman and Pharoah Sanders; the complex lives of Chet Baker and Nina Simone are considered; devotions to Ellington and Basie are revealed; and personal solace is found in the music of Tommy Flanagan and Quartet West. These are poems of peace, reflection, time, venue and humor – all with jazz at their core. (Featuring the art of Everett Spruill)

The Sunday Poem

photo via Wallpaper Flare
“Dink’s Blues and drum fills,” by Joel Glickman

Interview

photo courtesy of Henry Threadgill
Interview with Brent Hayes Edwards, co-author (with Henry Threadgill) of Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music...The author discusses his work co-written with Threadgill, the composer and multi-instrumentalist widely recognized as one of the most original and innovative voices in contemporary music, and the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Poetry

painting by Henry Denander
A collection of jazz haiku...This collection, featuring 22 poets, is an example of how much love, humor, sentimentality, reverence, joy and sorrow poets can fit into their haiku devoted to jazz.

In Memoriam

Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
A thought or two about Tony Bennett

Podcast

"BG Boogie’s musical tour of indictment season"...The podcaster “BG Boogie” has weaponized the most recent drama facing The Former Guy, creating a 30 minute playlist “with all the latest up-to-date-est musical indictments of political ineptitude.”

Interview

Chick Webb/photographer unknown
Interview with Stephanie Stein Crease, author of Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat That Changed America...The author talks about her book and Chick Webb, once at the center of America’s popular music, and among the most influential musicians in jazz history.

Community

FOTO:FORTEPAN / Kölcsey Ferenc Dunakeszi Városi Könyvtár / Petanovics fényképek, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
.“Community Bookshelf, #1"...a twice-yearly space where writers who have been published on Jerry Jazz Musician can share news about their recently authored books. This edition includes information about books published within the last six months or so…

Short Fiction

photo vi Wallpaper Flare
Short Fiction Contest-winning story #63 — “Company” by Anastasia Jill...Twenty-year-old Priscilla Habel lives with her wannabe flapper mother who remains stuck in the jazz age 40 years later. Life is monotonous and sad until Cil meets Willie Flasterstain, a beatnik lesbian who offers an escape from her mother's ever-imposing shadow.

Poetry

Trading Fours, with Douglas Cole, No. 16: “Little Waltz” and “Summertime”...Trading Fours with Douglas Cole is an occasional series of the writer’s poetic interpretations of jazz recordings and film. In this edition, he connects the recordings of Jessica Williams' "Little Waltz" and Gene Harris' "Summertime."

Playlist

photo by Bob Hecht
This 28-song Spotify playlist, curated by Jerry Jazz Musician contributing writer Bob Hecht, features great tunes performed by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Lester Young, Stan Getz, and…well, you get the idea.

Poetry

photo of Wolfman Jack via Wikimedia Commons
“Wolfman and The Righteous Brothers” – a poem by John Briscoe

Jazz History Quiz #167

GuardianH, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before becoming one of television’s biggest stars, he was a competent ragtime and jazz piano player greatly influenced by Scott Joplin (pictured), and employed a band of New Orleans musicians similar to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band to play during his vaudeville revue. Who was he?

Short Fiction

photo via PIXNIO/CC0
“The Sound Barrier” – a short story by Bex Hansen

Short Fiction

back cover of Diana Krall's album "The Girl in the Other Room" [Verve]
“Improvised: A life in 7ths, 9ths and Suspended 4ths” – a short story by Vikki C.

Interview

photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
Long regarded as jazz music’s most eminent baritone saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan was a central figure in “cool” jazz whose contributions to it also included his important work as a composer and arranger. Noted jazz scholar Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950s Quartets, and Jerry Jazz Musician contributing writer Bob Hecht discuss Mulligan’s unique contributions to modern jazz.

Photography

photo by Giovanni Piesco
Giovanni Piesco’s photographs of Tristan Honsinger

Poetry

Maurice Mickle considers jazz venues, in two poems

In Memoriam

David Becker, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
“Tony Bennett, In Memoriam” – a poem by Erren Kelly

Poetry

IISG, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ella Fitzgerald, in poems by Claire Andreani and Michael L. Newell

Book Excerpt

“Chick” Webb was one of the first virtuoso drummers in jazz and an innovative bandleader dubbed the “Savoy King,” who reigned at Harlem’s world-famous Savoy Ballroom. Stephanie Stein Crease is the first to fully tell Webb’s story in her biography, Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America…The book’s entire introduction is excerpted here.

Feature

Hans Christian Hagedorn, professor for German and Comparative Literature at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real (Spain) reveals the remarkable presence of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic Don Quixote in the history of jazz.

Short Fiction

Dmitry Rozhkov, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
“A Skull on the Moscow Leningrad Sleeper” – a short story by Robert Kibble...A story revolving around a jazz record which means so much to a couple that they risk being discovered while attempting to escape the Soviet Union

Book Excerpt

Book excerpt from Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music, by Henry Threadgill and Brent Hayes Edwards

Short Fiction

photo via Appletreeauction.com
“Streamline Moderne” – a short story by Amadea Tanner

Publisher’s Notes

“C’est Si Bon” – at trip's end, a D-Day experience, and an abundance of gratitude

Poetry

photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
A Charlie Parker Poetry Collection...Nine poets, nine poems on the leading figure in the development of bebop…

Contributing Writers

Click the image to view the writers, poets and artists whose work has been published on Jerry Jazz Musician, and find links to their work

Interview

Photo of Stanley Crouch by Michael Jackson
Interview with Glenn Mott, editor of Victory is Assured: The Uncollected Writings of Stanley Crouch (photo of Stanley Crouch by Michael Jackson)

Interview

photo of Sonny Rollins by Brian McMillen
Interview with Aidan Levy, author of Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins...The author discusses his book about the iconic tenor saxophonist who is one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time – a lasting link to the golden age of jazz

Art

Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance: “Outtakes” — Vol. 2...In this edition, the authors Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder share examples of Cha Cha Cha record album covers that didn't make the final cut in their book

Pressed for All Time

“Pressed For All Time,” Vol. 17 — producer Joel Dorn on Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s 1967 album, The Inflated Tear

Photography

© Veryl Oakland
John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana are featured in this edition of photographs and stories from Veryl Oakland’s book, Jazz in Available Light

Coming Soon

An interview with Judith Tick, author of Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song; A new collection of jazz poetry; a new Jazz History Quiz; short fiction; poetry; photography; interviews; playlists; and lots more in the works...

Interview Archive

Eubie Blake
Click to view the complete 22 year archive of Jerry Jazz Musician interviews, including those recently published with Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom on Eubie Blake (pictured); Richard Brent Turner on jazz and Islam; Alyn Shipton on the art of jazz; Shawn Levy on the original queens of standup comedy; Travis Atria on the expatriate trumpeter Arthur Briggs; Kitt Shapiro on her life with her mother, Eartha Kitt; Will Friedwald on Nat King Cole; Wayne Enstice on the drummer Dottie Dodgion; the drummer Joe La Barbera on Bill Evans; Philip Clark on Dave Brubeck; Nicholas Buccola on James Baldwin and William F. Buckley; Ricky Riccardi on Louis Armstrong; Dan Morgenstern and Christian Sands on Erroll Garner; Maria Golia on Ornette Coleman.

Site Archive