Ella. Simply Ella. Her full name was Ella Jane Fitzgerald. She has been called the First Lady of Jazz, as well as the First Lady of Song. She has fronted… Read More »Her Voice as an Instrument…The Story of Jazz for Beginners Like Me: Chapter 8…A Tisket, A Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb and His Orchestra
Let me begin with a short personal note. Just yesterday I completed a post about the movie musical Singin’ in the Rain. In that post, I made reference to the… Read More »Takin’ It All In Stride: The Story of Jazz for Beginners Like Me: Chapter #7: Carolina Shout by James P. Johnson
As I type these words, it is International Jazz Day as declared by the United Nations. I find it nice that a world body such as the U.N. would promote… Read More »Hi De Hi/Hi De Ho: The Story of Jazz for Beginners Like Me: Chapter #6….Jumpin’ Jive by Cab Calloway from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Film Stormy Weather
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899. He grew up in Washington, D.C. Both of his parents played the piano so, not surprisingly, young Edward grew up in a home… Read More »The Sultan of Swing: The Story of Jazz for Beginners like Me…Song #4: Creole Love Call by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra ft. Adelaide Hall
Today marks my first foray into a genre of music that, admittedly, I know very little about: Jazz! Oh, I know some of the basic aspects of where the genre… Read More »Liquid Architecture: the Story of Jazz for Beginners Like Me…Song #1/25: West End Blues by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five