Edward Kennedy Ellington's Life During The Harlem Renaissance

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during the early stages of the 20th century thousands of black families and individuals migrated from the south To the big apple meaning Harlem New York. The blacks brought along with them culture and life. In the 1920s-1930s The Harlem renaissance reached biggest that it ever was talents began to flooding the streets of Harlem such as Novelists, poets , artists and my topic of today Musicians . Harlem is full of landmarks and some are even still there standing such as the cotton club Apollo theater and many more. Harlem is where the blacks celebrated and have fun and their own rights there was no more slavery no more anything they were Free. Early Harlem Renaissance

it was perfect timing when the Harlem renaissance era …show more content…

Edward didn't know from that they his whole life was about to change. From being a typical American child into one of the Biggest Jazz player of all time. Later on remember by man and be plastered front page of the Harlem Renaissance History books of today(www.biography.com/biography editors). Edward started playing the piano when he was just around the age of 7. His Friends loved the way that he played his piano so Gracefully and precise. So his friends nicknamed him Duke. Duke Even went to High School but only to learn more about music and how he could make his music better than it was. He earned scholarships for different colleges but he wouldn't accept them he gave it all up for his passion for becoming the world's best Musicians. By the year of 1919 Duke started to Perform with a band that called themselves the Washingtonians. In Early 1920s Duke and the Band traveled to Harlem New York. The group began to get gigs in the Broadway night clubs Then his band started to get way bigger and full up with some pretty good Musicians. Since Duke had such a positive influence on the musicians that time period more began to gather and join his band. From 1927-1931 his band was later called the house band. Later on Duke Eventually got gigs at the cotton club that was full with white folks. The house band was so good that there performance started to broadcast all around New York City. Duke's house band was one of the famous bands in the 1930s. One of his most famous songs was it don't mean a thing if it don't got that swing. After the World war 2 Happened they didn't really focus that much on instrumental music which mean the music that Duke also played. So his band Was Shunned Ands they focused on singers for