spent a lot of time working in clubs in Hell's Kitchen district of New York City. He wrote Broadway musicals and in the mid '20's he began composing large-scale orchestral works. Also, he was known for his great improvisation. Eubie Blake (1883-1983) Blake began playing at age six when his parents, both former slaves, bought a piano for their home. He began composing songs as a teenager. He is remembered for his ragtime style of jazz. Willie "The Lion" Smith (1887-1973) Smith, who played piano, was also a product of the Harlem Piano School. He earned his nickname while serving in the army. He led his own band in Harlem during the early 1920's. Duke Ellington (1899-1974) The "Duke" is considered by many to be the most important American composer in the history of jazz. What makes him unique is that he composed music individually for the members of his orchestra instead of lumping them all together. Ellington's opening of the Cotton Club is considered to be one of the most important jazz events of the 1920's. It was there that he and his band gained their international reputation as one of the best jazz orchestras in the world. Fletcher Henderson (1898-1952) Henderson was a man of many talents. Not only did he succeed as a pianist, composer, and arranger, but he also had a double degree in chemistry and math. One of his main contributions was his introduction of the "swing formula". As an authentic blues artist, he wasn't very good but, he was representative of many of the well-trained bandleaders. In conclusion, Chicago and New York were the two most important cities for jazz during the 1920's. The music was a sophisticated kind of New Orleans jazz. Sometime it had a blues feeling and sometimes it didn't. The 1920's are when jazz seriously made a name for itself. Society knew good music ...
