Black Legends in Jazz
Smooth, light, flowing. Warm, rich, dark. Coarse, cold, fast. All descriptors of the range of Jazz. No matter the style, one thing stays the same: the influence of black legends.
Louis Armstrong: A talented jazz trumpet player, singer and bandleader. He became popular in the 1920s and was a huge influence on many musicians with both is style and distinctive vocals. During his lifetime, Armstrong accomplished many firsts for African Americans. He became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography as well as became the first African-American to get featured in a major Hollywood movie. Armstrong is remembered for his songs “Star Dust,“ “La Vie En Rose,“ and “What a Wonderful World,“ “When the Saints go Marching In“ and others.
Miles Davis: An exceptional trumpet player and bandleader in the jazz world. Davis is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of his era as well as a key person in the development of jazz. Throughout his life, Davis was awarded 8 Grammies including the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. Davis is remembered through his music “Blue In Green,“ “So What,“ “Freddie Freeloader“ and many more.
Duke Ellington: A gifted pianist, bandleader, and composer. In his 50 year career, Ellington was able to compose thousands of scores for stage performance, movies, and contemporary groups. Ellington was the bandleader of a sextet that performed in Broadway nightclubs. He actively looked for musicians that had unique playing styles. Some of Ellington’s most recognizable compositions are: “Concerto for Cootie,“ “Take the A Train“ and “Sepia Panorama.“
Count Basie: A brilliant bandleader and pianist. Basie was one of the primary shapers of the “Big Band“ sound that was extremely popular in the mid-20th century. Basie was the first African-American male to receive a Grammy Award. He is known for his songs “One O’clock Jump,“ “I Won’t Dance,“ “Pennies From Heaven“ and more.
Ella Fitzgerald: An exquisite jazz singer who had an astonishing three-octave range. Throughout her career, she was able to record more than 200 albums and sold more than 40 million albums. Fitzgerald was the first African-American woman to earn a Grammy award and went on to win 12 more. Fitzgerald had a unique ability to mimic instrumental sounds, which made scatting and vocal improvisation popular and became her signature technique. Some of her most popular songs are “Airmail Special,“ “How High the Moon“ and “Dream a Little Dream of Me“
