Music Highlights

            As we know it the “Roaring Twenties” was a time where the Jazz Age came to life in Harlem. This time in Harlem was sometimes called the “Harlem Renaissance.” During the 1920s after the First World War, Chicago was hot with violence from Al Capone, and “Harlem was hot with Jazz and the so-called ‘devil’s music.’” Jazz was successful in Harlem due to the fact that “The Cotton Club” opened in 1922. This is where events were held and it was open to both black and white races. The club was first opened in 1920 by a famous “former heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson.” Then in 1922 Owney Madden took the club over and renamed it Cotton’s Club. The Cotton Club was the most famous club of Harlem providing its guest with performances of the most “prominent jazz musicians of the day.”

            Part of the musical highlights from this jazz era were people like Bessie Smith who sang Blues like the song “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out, 1929” she had a very strong voice. Just by listening to her you can feel her soul in her music.

Another female or in this case group of female artist were The Andrew Sisters with their song “I’ll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time” this song was more of a sentimental ballad .

            There was also old-fashioned walzes like “Three O’Clock in the Morning” by Paul Whiteman. 

Then you had your more crazy upbeat songs like “Yes, We Have no Bananas” by – Spike Jones.It starts off with him talking and the he starts singing and the music just makes you want to get up and dance. This is the type of music that you can imagine had “flappers” dancing like there was no tomorrow.

 --- by Freddy Herrera

Whitley, Peggy. "1920-1929." American Cultural History. Lone Star College-Kingwood
            Library, 1999. Web. 7 Feb. 2011.