Dr Harvey G. Cohen, one of our keynote speakers at the 25th International Duke Ellington Study Group Conference, Birmingham, is the author of the seminal work, Duke Ellington’s America.
Published in 2010, the book is a fascinating study of the social, political and cultural milieu in which Ellington lived and which informed his work.
“There are not many artists whose lives can bear the weight of such a non-art-oriented treatment,” Peter Keepnews wrote in his review for The New York Times, “Ellington, who for much of his career was not just a musician but also a symbol — of jazz as high art, of America as a land of opportunity — is one of them, and the story of his place in the world turns out to be well worth telling. Cohen’s in-depth examination of Ellington and civil rights is especially fascinating. Those who don’t know much about Ellington might assume from his charming but aloof public persona that he floated serenely above worldly matters like the struggle for racial equality. Cohen demonstrates otherwise, expertly detailing Ellington’s contributions to the cause — as a composer who addressed racial pride in ambitious works like Black, Brown and Beige and My People, and as a high-profile exemplar of dignity in the face of prejudice.”
In 2008, Dr Cohen addressed the 20th
Ellington Conference in London. For Sjef Hoefsmit of the Duke Ellington Music Society, this was “by far the most interesting presentation” of the conference.
In Birmingham on Saturday, 25 May, Dr Harvey will doubtless have some fascinating insights to share about the writing of Duke Ellington’s America. His latest book, Who’s in the Money?: The Great Depression Musicals and Hollywood’s New Deal has just been published and will no doubt prove to be as timeless and prescient as his work on Ellington.
A flavour of Dr Cohen’s presentation is given in his broadcast Duke Ellington’s America: Musical Genius And Then Some, available on Radio Open Source.
Further reviews of Duke Ellington's America:
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