Duke Ellington's Music, Black, Brown And Beige

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The purpose of this post is to discuss an aspect of jazz that was charged or influenced by race, gender, religion, or another social aspect. I chose to write about a Duke Ellington album, Black, Brown and Beige. Duke Ellington was known for expressing the feelings of African Americans without being angry. However, you could still feel the pain, sadness and angst, and it was always done through a filter, with a feeling of triumph at the end.
The album debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1943 with mixed reviews. This album speaks to the freedom struggle that African Americans faced at that time. By using his music, Duke Ellington is able to narrate the struggles, triumphs, and emergence of individual identity in early African American culture.