In this video, Duke Ellington and his band perform "Take the "A" Train" with Ella Fitzgerald which presents an upbeat and cheerful tone that stands out during the Harlem Renaissance. Although Billy Strayhorn originally wrote the song, this became Ellington's signature piece. Most of his style was swing and jazz which reflected some of the styles in Harlem.
"Take the "A" Train" refers to the New York subway A train that ran Brooklyn to Harlem. In the lyrics of the song, it mentions Sugar Hill in Harlem which was a popular area. Fitzgerald singing "hurry, get on, now, it's coming" relates to the busy tone you can hear from the saxophone.
I like this song because of the piano jazz style Ellington plays but also how at some points either the trombone, piano or drums reminds me of a busy train but it also shows the business's of New York in general. Also, I find Fitzgerald's voice to be interesting because it's so deep and unique, especially during this time.
When looking at the lyrics, they relate to the Harlem Renaissance theme of racial identification when they mention specific parts of Harlem but it mainly mentions the hustle and bustle of New York City life.
Duke Ellington with Ella Fitzgerald
I really liked this song, and think that it fit so well in to the Harlem Renaissance theme. I just kinda wished that you made the link to the youtube clip a little more clearer. I thought that your analysis was really good and right to the point. I agree that it was racial identification because of the lyrics like "If you miss the "A" train
ReplyDeleteYou'll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem". I really liked that you picked this song! :)