USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In late 1927, the Cotton Club began broadcasting through radio, providing Duke Ellington with the opportunity of being the first black band leader to have nationwide reach, in turn catapulting him to a new level of fame.

Detailed explanation-2: -Opened in 1923, the Cotton Club on 142nd St & Lenox Ave in the heart of Harlem, New York was operated by white New York gangster Owney Madden. Madden used the Cotton Club as an outlet to sell his “#1 Beer” to the prohibition crowd.

Detailed explanation-3: -Weekly radio broadcasts spread the fame of the club and its musicians to a national audience. Among the many seminal figures of jazz and blues who performed at the Cotton Club, bandleader Duke Ellington was perhaps the most closely associated with the venue.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Duke Ellington Orchestra opened as house band at The Cotton Club in 1927. The handsome young bandleader perfectly turned out in top hat and tails was about to make a name for himself at the hottest, classiest club in Harlem. Live radio broadcasts from the club fanned the flames of Ellington’s star power.

Detailed explanation-5: -About the Project Nonetheless, the Cotton Club launched the careers of many African American performers including Fletcher Henderson, who led the first house band in 1923, and Duke Ellington, whose orchestra was the house band from 1927 to 1931.