New York City, uptown, the 1920s. Poets, writers, dancers, and musicians came to Harlem to experience the excitement of the jazz age and to see the cabarets and floor shows at the Apollo Theatre and the Cotton Club. People flocked to Harlem to hear the genius of band leader Duke Ellington, the jazz-poetry of Langston Hughes, and the romantic lyricism of Countee Cullen. The Harlem Renaissance produced some of the 20th century’s greatest and most influential artists, figures at the center of the spectacular jazz era. These African American artists created a new American sound and a new American culture. This unique recording tells the Harlem Renaissance story through the spoken word and live music of some of its most famous works. Experience it all yourself in.

Includes a FOREWORD AND AFTERWARD BY JONATHAN GROSS, PH.D. Hear the story of Harlem, told through the words of its poets and the sound of its musicians. Imagine yourself in the Cotton Club where Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra performed their hit song, “Take the A Train”. Listen to Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B” recited aloud while the strains of “Mood Indigo” play from a distant radio. Learn what the world was like in the 1920s when the Harlem Renaissance was at its height, and why it is still so important today.

DUKE ELLINGTON, LANGSTON HUGHES, COUNTEE CULLEN AND THE SOUND OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Performed by Jonathan Gross and “Mack” Jay Jordan

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“This Excellent Compilation of Key Works from the Harlem Renaissance, Both Literary and Musical, Will Be Invaluable for Classroom Instruction.”

—Eric J. Sundquist, UCLA Foundation Professor of Literature

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Brilliance Audio on Compact Disc 978-1-4418-0883-7 / $14.99 1 disc / 1 hour