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Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's collaboration was not just about music—it was about storytelling through jazz. Together, they transformed the big band into a narrative instrument, where every arrangement and solo contributed to a larger emotional journey. -
Billy Strayhorn was more than Duke Ellington’s collaborator—he was a singular musical voice.
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Jazz and rock are always borrowing and always inspiring each other. Here are a few rock songs shaped by jazz, where improvisation, rhythm, and harmony push the music beyond boundaries. -
Jazz left an indelible mark on rock music. Take Van Morrison’s “Moondance," a jazz waltz turned pop hit, complete with swing feel, walking bass, and jazz-inspired solos, blending sophistication with accessibility. -
Jazz has left its fingerprints all over popular music. From the swing era forward, jazz rhythms, harmonies, and improvisation have shaped the sound of pop. -
During the Civil Rights Movement, jazz was a voice for freedom. -
Jazz has had a profound influence on the Broadway stage. In the 1920s and ’30s, jazz rhythms and harmonies began to reshape the sound of the American musical, giving it a freshness and vitality audiences hadn’t heard before. -
Lily Pearl Woodard, better known as Pearl Woods, was born in Saint Matthews, South Carolina, in 1933 and moved to New York City in 1951. -
Webster Young was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 3, 1932. Though he left South Carolina as a toddler, the musical seeds planted there would flourish elsewhere.
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Composer, singer, and percussionist Nick Ashford was born in 1941 in South Carolina. As an infant, he moved north to Michigan, eventually settling in New York City, where he dreamed of becoming a dancer. -
Mac Arnold, born in 1942 in Ware Place, South Carolina, is a powerhouse in jazz and blues whose career spans decades and coasts. -
Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary, first aired on PBS in 2001, is more than a history lesson—it’s a celebration of an American art form.
