Creole Band Research Paper

America's Greatest Gift There is no doubt that Jazz music is one of greatest things to come from American culture. It had sprouted up from cultural and spiritual hymns a global sound that has no restraints. From the early slave songs with their call and response style, to the later Swing and Bebop era tones, Jazz became the frontline for American music where it still remains relevant to this day. It all started in the later parts of the 19th with African slaves brought over from the Atlantic slave trade. They brought with them their style of call and response hymns and drum inspired rhythms. From years of being mistreated and used for slavery, music was one of the only remaining connections they had to their culture. Songs such as “The Buzzard

The Creole Band is generally considered the first band to play such music from New Orleans and tour outside of the city. The band was one of many to perform on the Vaudeville Circuit, which was the go to place for musical performances and plays during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Many of these performances were minstrel shows which had white men with black painted faces playing black men. The shows gave most of the public the first real taste of Jazz music these bands had to offer. Even though the Creole Band was considered the first Jazz band they were not the first to produce a record. The Original Dixieland Jass Band was considered the first band to produce a Jazz style record. Even though their music was jazz, it wasn’t considered the same caliber as what the African musicians could output, which led to most calling The Original Dixieland Jass Band “white pretenders” because the band consisted of all white band members (JAZZ). Although the Creole Band wasn’t the first and to produce a jazz record, they were the first legitimate all black group to do

His band consisted of cherry picked musicians from all over who were already considered to be some of the best. His considered mega group would play with him for many years and remain at the top of the charts. While Ellington was considered the greatest, he couldn’t have pulled it all off with his right hand man Billy Strayhorn. Strayhorn was a composer-arranger-pianist who wrote many pieces for Ellington. Even though Strayhorn was Ellington’s backbone, and he composed many of Ellington’s greatest hits, he never saw much recognition or pay. He always remained in Ellington’s shadow because he knew that he was nothing without Ellington and his