NY’s City Center transforms into Harlem’s Cotton Club to Salute Duke Ellington. Show features the Music of Jimmy McHugh

Duke Ellington‘s Cotton Club Parade, opens November 18 at New York City Center. Cotton Club Parade is a celebration of Ellington’s years at the famed Harlem nightclub in the 1920s and early ’30s, when the joint was jumping with revues featuring big bands, swing and blues, dancers, singers and novelty acts.

The Cotton Club Parade re-imagines one of the world famous Cotton Club floor shows. It will feature the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, who also serves as music director.

Jimmy McHugh, who was the Cotton Club’s musical director, discovered Ellington at a small New Jersey club. He was responsible for booking Duke and his Band into the famed nightspot for a two-week engagement, which turned into a four-year residency at the Club.

Legendary performers such as the Nicholas Brothers, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Snake Hips Tucker, Peg Leg Bates and a 16-year old Lena Horne all performed at the Cotton Club.

As in the original revues, Cotton Club Parade will feature singers, dancers and variety acts, and songs by the greatest jazz composers of the time, including Jimmy McHugh (I Can’t Give You Anything But Love and Diga Diga Doo).

Cotton Club Parade will run for six performances only November 18-22, 2011

Links:

http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionnew.aspx?performanceNumber=6033

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington

www.dukeellington.com

SONY'S MASTERWORKS BROADWAY RELEASES RECORDINGS OF SONGS FROM THE HISTORIC JIMMY MCHUGH & DOROTHY FIELDS MUSICAL 'BLACKBIRDS OF 1928'

Masterworks Broadway, a subsidiary label of Sony Masterworks, is re-releasing classic recordings of songs from 'Blackbirds of 1928' the pioneering, all-black musical written by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields.


These are the only recordings of songs from this landmark score, presented as they were originally performed. Taken directly from the original masters, they have never before been available digitally.

Adelaide Hall

Originally recorded in 1953, the recording features the legendary Cab Calloway and Thelma Carpenter performing I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, Diga-Diga-Doo and other McHugh/Fields classics. 


The show, which was the first Broadway success for composer Jimmy McHugh and lyricist Dorothy Fields, became the longest running all-black show on the New York stage.
Directed by producer Lew Leslie, it starred Adelaide Hall, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and Mantan Moreland.





Set for release November 15, 2011 , Blackbirds of 1928 will be available as a digital download and disc-on-demand with the original cover art and new liner notes at Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.