From roots in the American South to branches in Rio, Bombay, Capetown, Melbourne and even Azerbaijan, jazz has been the world’s soundtrack of surprise. Many of these artists were confronted with abuse, indifference, racism and deception. And although their stories were not always comforting, the vitality of the music and their creative lives resisted the sensationalism that has often clung to them. These artists introduced to the world a new sound and a new musical language. They were rug-cutters, jumpers and jivers, swingers and jazzers. .
Billie Holiday: 1915 - 1959
Because the mythology of Billie Holiday’s strife-torn life fit so conveniently with the cliché of the self-abusive jazz genius, according to historians, her newsworthiness was often based on stories of childhood prostitution, drug dependency, scandals and narcotic charges. She translated those hardships into something magnificent and beautiful. Spanning over eight decades, her legacy has withstood both criticism and scandal because her music exuded a beauty that could only have come from the heart. Considered by many to have given birth to the blues, the music of “Lady Day” is heard worldwide and remains on the top of best seller lists.
Josephine Baker: 1906 - 1975
Stunning, vivacious and sexy, Josephine Baker’s femininity was her power. Considered by many to be the original courageous black diva, who unable to achieve her full bloom of stardom in the States, moved abroad to become the “Toast of Paris.” She performed a kind of black vernacular street song and dance that she elevated to a fine art, receiving phenomenal notoriety.
Lena Horne: 1917 --
Lena Horne was the first African-American women to be publicized and glamorized by her studio. She was a pioneer who was proud of her blackness and endured harsh realities to move her people along. As a great interpreter of songs, she received instant recognition with “Stormy Weather,” her signature song and featured one of America’s first films with an all-black cast.
Ella Fitzgerald: 1918 - 1998
Ella Fitzgerald was the “First Lady of Jazz.” Her voice was so clear and pure that one wouldn’t think of it as soulful as it is. Her artistry incorporated a stunning technical range, including a dazzling command, perhaps the most dazzling of any artist to date of what has come to be known as “scat” singing.
Dorothy Dandridge: 1922 - 1965
Dorothy Dandridge’s story lies in both the brilliance of her talent and in Hollywood’s willingness to squander such brilliance. She defined another level of possibility for the black movie star. As the first African-American female to sing, dance and act in film, she went further than any African-American women before her in Hollywood cinema, and even today is considered to hold that legacy.
ALL THAT JAZZ
Louis Armstrong: 1898 - 1971
If there was ever a defining moment in American music, it was in 1928 when Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong played western blues. He had an unflinching boldness of conception, driving swing, soaring musical imagination and revolutionary technique. While his music was conceived with all the shape and drama of tantalizing stories, his performances told the world that jazz was here to stay. He defined jazz as America’s biggest art form. "If it were not for Louis Armstrong, the world would still be square," commented Hugh Masekela. "He brought the African-American culture to the whole world, echoing his trumpet with a gravely, and rhythmically unpredictable singing, an early version of 'scat'."
Duke Ellington: 1899 - 1974
Duke Ellington is considered “The Maestro” worldwide. As the most important contributor to music in the 20th century, he invented jazz orchestration, making instrumentation speak the language of our people. He understood how to orchestrate the feeling and meaning of jazz with a sophisticated, unique style of his own that revolutionized and embodied credulous coordination and syncopation. Miles Davis once said, "on any given day all musicians should get down on their knees and thank God for Duke Ellington.".
Count Basie: 1904 - 1984
Count Basie probably had the most identifiable rhythm section sound in the history of jazz. The All American Rhythm Section, featured Freddy Green playing guitar; Jo Jones, playing drums; Walter Page, playing base; Herschel Evans on trumpet and the “Count,” who made the piano talk, walk and jump. The All American Rhythm section was coined as “hip” because they loved to swing and people loved to dance to their music.
Cab Calloway: 1907 - 1994
With zoot suits, spats and wide-brimmed hats, pretty-boy, flamboyant, Cab Calloway may have been the single most influential performer in music history to demonstrate what fine showmanship was all about. “Cab Calloway was a real player,” commented actor/rapper Ice-T. “He could sing and dance and did his thing.” Cab Calloway was a strong part of our history, evidenced by today’s artists who try to emulate his powerful performances.
Miles Davis: 1926 - 1991
No jazz musician has ever played an instrument with nearly the most intimate and elusive emotion as Miles Davis. His notes changed color like jewels turning at shifting angles to the light. His sound was poignant and personal, and his sense of swing was founded in an instinctive feel for when to play, as when not to play. In the often hyperactive music of jazz, his whimsical shifts of consciousness instantly allowed us to identify his playing with a familiar provocative “me-ness” that he is so often remembered. He hypnotized the jazz world and profoundly influenced it. His trumpet is one of the most imitated and immediately identifiable of all jazz sounds.
Noted: These are but a few of the trailblazers, who laid the ground-work and set the standard for those who followed them. They were artists of their time, who by building on the past were able to create new possibilities in entertainment by recording their history in the key of life.
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