This post has very little to do with authenticity, I’m afraid. It’s more about race, irony, and the way a song’s meaning changes over time. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can unsubscribe…
Most New York Visitors don’t prefer going far from Central Park and main city attractions. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.By submitting this…
As Duke Ellington sang, taking the A train is the quickest way to Harlem. But once there, where do you go if you want a taste of the neighborhood’s history? Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem…
Before the Dipset crew took over Harlem, Black Swan Records was an American jazz and blues record label founded in 1921 in Harlem, New York. It was the first widely distributed label to be owned, operated, and marketed to African Americans. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World…
Harry Herbert Pace, January 6, 1884 – July 19, 1943, was an African-American music publisher and insurance executive, and the founder of Black Swan Records in 1922 based at 2289 Seventh Avenue in Harlem, NY. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like…
Henry “Rubberlegs” Williams, July 14, 1907 – October 17, 1962, was an American blues and jazz singer, dancer and occasional female impersonator. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please…
Charles Henry “Charlie” Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist who lived and played the electric guitar throughout Harlem. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You…
Cora LaRedd, the brilliant Harlem singer and dancer of the 1920s and 1930s, known for her hard-hitting rhythm-tap style, was often announced as the “Terpsichorean riot.” Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can…
Coleman Randolph Hawkins November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes “Bean”, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. One of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument, as Joachim E. Berendt explained: “there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn”. Become a Harlem Insider!…
William James “Count” Basie August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984, was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive…
Connie’s Inn was a Harlem, New York City nightclub established in 1923 by Conrad (Connie) Immerman in partnership with his brothers, George and Louie Immerman. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can unsubscribe…
If one walks along Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard (aka Seventh Avenue) in Harlem today, they will see, for the first time in over 90 years, a vacant lot on the east side of the thoroughfare between West 137th and West 138th Streets. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes,…
Betty Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Elvin Jones, and Wes Montgomery were the newest members inducted into Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame (EJHF) yesterday. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You can unsubscribe…
On 143rd Street and Lenox Avenue sat the Douglas Theater, depending on which of my sources is correct, either 600 or 2200 seats (which in 1935 expanded to 2300, which could indicate that an orchestra pit was covered over to add more seating). Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe…
The Lafayette Theatre The Lafayette Theatre, also known as “the House Beautiful,” was an entertainment venue located at 132nd Street and 7th Avenue in Harlem, New York. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Select list(s) to subscribe toHarlem World Magazine Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harlem World Magazine. (You…