The title of the song refers to the A line of New York’s subway train service. At the time of the song’s conception, this line ran from Brooklyn, up into Harlem, and then northern Manhattan where it used the express rails.
Also What is the story behind Take the A train? “Take the ‘A’ Train” was composed in 1939, after Ellington offered Strayhorn a job in his organization and gave him money to travel from Pittsburgh to New York City. Ellington wrote directions for Strayhorn to get to his house by subway, directions that began, “Take the A Train”.
Likewise What are the instruments used in Take the A train? The first time the saxophones lead with support from the trumpets and trombones, then Ray Nance (on muted trumpet) leads, and after a four-bar transition and corresponding change of key, the saxophones and Nance (on open trumpet) take turns improvising on the theme, finally closing with fading repetitions of the last …
What are the instruments in Take the A train? Duke Ellington, piano, directing: Wallace Jones, first trumpet; Ray Nance, trumpet; Rex Stewart, cornet; Lawrence Brown, first trombone; Joseph Nanton, trombone; Juan Tizol, valve trombone; Otto Hardwick, first alto saxophone; Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone; Ben Webster and Barney Bigard, tenor saxophones; Harry Carney, …
Did Duke Ellington have his own train?
Ellington rented his own train car so that he and his band members would have a place to sleep and eat when they pulled into segregated towns.
Who wrote lyrics for Duke Ellington? Dayton, Ohio, U.S. William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades.
Which instrument did Louis Armstrong play? Louis Armstrong grew up in dire poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a child, he worked odd jobs and sang in a boys’ quartet. In 1913 he was sent to the Colored Waifs Home as a juvenile delinquent. There he learned to play the cornet in a band, and playing music quickly became a passion.
What was the main instrument that Duke Ellington played? Born in Washington D.C. in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as “Duke,” began playing piano as a child. His mother, who also played the piano, oversaw his education, and by the time he was seventeen he began playing professionally.
When was Take the A Train by Duke Ellington recorded?
“Take the A Train,” the signature tune of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, was recorded on this day in 1941. The song marked the beginning of a decades-long partnership between Ellington and a shy young songwriter named Billy Strayhorn.
What were Duke Ellington’s last words? Ellington died on May 24 1974. His last words were: ‘Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered‘. More than 12,000 people attended his funeral.
What instrument does Duke Ellington play?
Born in Washington D.C. in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as “Duke,” began playing piano as a child. His mother, who also played the piano, oversaw his education, and by the time he was seventeen he began playing professionally.
How old was Duke Ellington when he started playing piano? Born: April 29, 1899, Washington, D.C. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington, Duke Ellington was one of the founding fathers of jazz music. He started playing piano at the age of seven, and by the time he was 15, he was composing.
What instruments are in Duke Ellington It don’t mean a thing?
Usual instrumentation: trumpet/cornet, clarinet, trombone, piano, string bass/tuba, drums, and banjo/guitar.
What instrument did Billie Holiday play?
| Billie Holiday | |
|---|---|
| Died | July 17, 1959 (aged 44) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, vocal jazz, jazz blues, torch songs, ballads, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | voice |
What instrument does John Coltrane play? John studied clarinet and alto saxophone as a youth and then moved to Philadelphia in 1943 and continued his studies at the Ornstein School of Music and the Granoff Studios. He was drafted into the navy in 1945 and played alto sax with a navy band until 1946; he switched to tenor saxophone in 1947.
What instrument did Satchmo play? Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed “Satchmo”, “Satch”, and “Pops”, was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He is among the most influential figures in jazz.
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| Louis Armstrong | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Dixieland jazz swing traditional pop |
| Instruments | Vocals trumpet |
| Years active | 1919–1971 |
What instruments did Coltrane?
John studied clarinet and alto saxophone as a youth and then moved to Philadelphia in 1943 and continued his studies at the Ornstein School of Music and the Granoff Studios. He was drafted into the navy in 1945 and played alto sax with a navy band until 1946; he switched to tenor saxophone in 1947.
What instrument did Fletcher Henderson play? He played piano for leading Black singers on more than 150 records between 1921 and 1923 and then began a full-time career as a bandleader.
How many choruses are in Take the A train?
Ellington plays three choruses, then Betty Roche sings the melody and does two choruses of bebop-influenced scat-singing, sounding more modern than in her 1942 film version. There is a change in tempo, and tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves takes over for three final choruses.
How did a train get his name? Confused, A-Train asks Alastair how he knows about all that information, but Alastair only says “The Church knows all kinds of things.” Alastair then states Vought will turn Shockwave into the next A-Train, give him his uniform and give him the name “A-Train”.
Which American city is considered the birthplace of jazz?
Each ethnic group in New Orleans contributed to the very active musical environment in the city, and in this way to the development of early jazz. A well-known example of early ethnic influences significant to the origins of jazz is the African dance and drumming tradition, which was documented in New Orleans.
Why is the ghost of Duke Ellington in big mouth? In 1974, Duke Ellington died of complications from lung cancer and pneumonia. When he died, he became a ghost, stuck in between Heaven and Hell, now paying for his sins as a ghost.
What instrument did Louis Armstrong play?
Louis Armstrong grew up in dire poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a child, he worked odd jobs and sang in a boys’ quartet. In 1913 he was sent to the Colored Waifs Home as a juvenile delinquent. There he learned to play the cornet in a band, and playing music quickly became a passion.
How many siblings did Duke Ellington have? Ruth Ellington Boatwright, Duke Ellington’s only sibling, who for many years took care of his business affairs, died on Saturday in Manhattan.
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