TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Langston Hughes, the celebrated poet of the Harlem Renaissance, was deeply inspired by the music of Duke Ellington. Ellington’s orchestra, with its intricate arrangements and expressive solos, embodied the sophistication, energy, and creativity of African American culture—qualities Hughes aimed to capture in his poetry.
Hughes often cited Ellington as a model for rhythm and improvisation in writing. Just as Ellington’s music swings, shifts, and surprises, Hughes’ poems move with unexpected cadences, creating a musicality on the page. Poems like Jazzonia and The Weary Blues echo the phrasing and dynamics of big band and small ensemble jazz.
Through Ellington’s music, Hughes found a literary rhythm and a cultural voice that celebrated jazz not only as sound but as an emblem of resilience, pride, and innovation.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.