Harlem’s Lorenz Milton “Rodgers And” Hart 1895 – 1943
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was the lyricist half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Continue reading
Jimmy Cobb Birthday Celebration At Smoke
Jimmy Cobb is playing with more vitality and purpose in his 80’s than drummers a fraction of his age. The New York Times called his most recent recording on Smoke Sessions Records, The Original Mob, his best album in recent memory” and “a cogent argument against obsolescence.” Continue reading
‘Lady Day,’ Billie Holiday Signed By Al Hirschfield, 1930’s
A wonderful Billie Holiday ink drawing, titled "Lady Day," (she also use the nickname the “Prez”), it is hand signed by illustrator extraordinaire Al Hirschfeld. Continue reading
Billie Holiday’s Upper West Side Home For $12.95M
NY Curbed reports that you don't have to be able to sing your heart out to own the former Upper West Side home of jazz great Harlem fave Billie Holiday, but you will need more than twice as much as you would have six years ago.Continue reading
Souleo: Meet the Unforgetable Personalities Of Harlem’s Iconic, Paris Blues Bar
By Souleo
While the jazz-fueled heyday of the Harlem Renaissance era has long since played its last note, there are a few places in the historic ‘Black Mecca’ that continue to honor its legacy amid rapid gentrification.
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Apollo Theater Announces New Hologram Initiative
The Apollo Theater announced today that it will expand its daytime programming that celebrates the iconic Theater’s legacy and enduring impact.Continue reading
HW Pick: Diana Ross’s New Love Tour At NJPAC
First it was Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil, now its Diva Diana Ross, can the fall get any better? by The legendary Diana Ross returns to New Jersey on Wednesday, September 16 as a part of her In The Name of Love Tour. Tickets are on sale now. Continue reading
Watch Four Live Performances By Harlem’s Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday’s name has been in the news lately for some reasons that remind us of the tragedies she sang about and those she endured. First, there was the story of the rather appallingly tone-deaf PR firm who thought one of Holiday’s most well-known recordings, “Strange Fruit”—a song about lynching—would make a great name for their brand. Continue reading
Apollo Theater Partners with Jazz Musician Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
The Apollo Theater announced today its new artistic partnership with renowned jazz musician Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, which will include a range of major contemporary annual themed events and programs that will celebrate the origins of jazz, the continued innovations within the genre and build a younger audience for the art form. Continue reading
Billie Holiday Sings ‘Strange Fruit,’ Harlem, 1939 (audio)
"Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday (lived in Harlem during this time), who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Continue reading
Sheila Guyse “Miracle In Harlem” And “Harlem Follies of 1949” Star (Video)
Etta Drucille Guyse (rhymes with “nice”), known as Sheila Guyse, (July 14, 1925 – December 28, 2013) was a popular African-American singer, actress, and recording artist, performing on stage and screen during the 1940s and 1950s, in the Dorothy Dandridge film era.Continue reading
The Jimmy Cobb Miles Davis Celebration & Record Release At Smoke
Wow, Jimmy Cobb is playing with more vitality and purpose in his 80’s than drummers a fraction of his age. He is probably most famous as the drummer on Miles Davis’ classic Kind of Blue and his band will celebrate the iconic trumpeters May 26th birthday over these two nights, as well as the release of Jimmy’s new record on Smoke Sessions, The Original Mob. Continue reading
Leonard Harper, Harlem, New York 1925
Leonard Harper (born April 9, 1899 in Birmingham, Alabama- died February 4, 1943, Harlem, New York) was a producer /stager/ choreographer in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s.Continue reading
Harlem’s Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson
Ellsworth Raymond Johnson (October 31, 1905 – July 7, 1968) — known as "Bumpy" Johnson — was an American mob boss and bookmaker in New York City's Harlem neighborhood.Continue reading
Claude Jay’s World: Jazz Legend Max Lucas, Celebrates His 99th Birthday
By Claude Jay
Mr. Max Lucas, the Saxophonist, is a Jazz legend and American treasure. He has worked with the greats of Jazz, the Louis Armstrong Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn to name a few. Continue reading