Charlene Jean

MTR 255 L1
November 18, 2016

Revisionists of Musical Theatre: Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin

Charlene Jean

Revisionists of Musical Theatere:

Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and Harold Arlen impacted the American music industry
deeply- their tremendous sphere of influence extends from the past and finds notes in the present.
Although their music styles differ from each other, they all built upon each others compositions
and lyrics. However, before comparing and contrasting that, one must first delve into each of
their backgrounds to see where they got themselves got their inspirations to create and be some
of the greatest innovators in American music. We begin chronologically with Irving Berlin.
Considered one of the most prolific and popular songwriters of the twentieth century,
Irving Berlin was born Israel Baline, on May 11th, 1888 in Tyumen, Russia. He was born the
youngest of eight children to Moses and Lena Lipkin Baline. Berlins father sang as a cantor in a
Jewish synagogue. In 1893, Berlins family immigrated to New York to escape the persecution of
the Jewish community in Russia. Upon arrival to America, Berlins family settled in the Lower
East Side in the Yiddish Theatre District.
For Berlin, growing up was tough and like many other immigrant families, Berlins
family had to work very hard to survive. The children often had to pitch in and earn money to
help their families. After the death of his father, Irving ran away from home and made a life for
himself as a street singer. From there, he began to sing around the popular cafes and restaurants
of the area and he was eventually he was hired to sing in some of the cafes. In 1906, he was hired

as a singing waiter at the Pelham Caf, here he and the cafs pianist, Nick Nicholson wrote
Berlins first song, Marie of Sunny Italy. When the song was published, the printers
misprinted his name as Irving Berlin- Berlin decided to keep it.
After Marie was published, Berlin moved to another caf in Union Square and his
songwriting career continued. Funnily enough, Berlin could not play the piano, nor could he play
any other instrument so he had to get arrangers, to whom he would dictate his melodies. His first
complete son was Dorando and at the same time he wrote The Best Friends Must Part.
Throughout his career, he worked with an extensive amount of arrangers, however, Berlin hardly
ever credited them. Also, he could only play the piano in one key, F sharp, as a result, he bought
a transposition device so that he could get different keys. In 1911, despite his lack of piano skills,
he produced his first major hit, Alexanders Ragtime Band.
In the following years, Berlin started writing musicals, with his Broadway debut in 1914,
Watch Your Step. Two years later he became a U.S citizen and served in World War I, as a
result he wrote Yip! Yip! Yaphank! Following these two musicals, Berlin went on to compose
more than 1500 songs and multiple musicals and films. Some of his shows included Puttin On
the Ritz (1929), Easter Parade (1948), Top Hat (1935), Annie Get Your Gun (1946) and Mr.
President (1962). One of his most notable songs was White Christmas from the 1942 musical,
Holiday Inn. It was the highest-selling tune in history.
Irving Berlin was integral in shaping patriotism in the USA. He composed God Bless
America which is considered, to this day, the unofficial anthem of the United States. In the same
regard, he created several foundations, through which he donated millions of dollars in funds to
different organizations. He was also a co-founder of ASCAP, as well as the founder of his own

music publishing company and built his own Broadway theatre, the Music box. Additionally he
won Tony awards and was nominated for nine Academy Awards.
In 1989, on September 22nd, Berlin died in his sleep of natural causes in his home in New
York City. At the time of his death he was 101 years old.
Another composer who impacted American music as we know it was Duke Ellington.
Only a year younger than Berlin, Ellington was born on April 29 th, 1899, in Washington, D.C. He
was born Edward Kennedy Ellington to his father, James Edward Ellington and his mother Daisy
Kennedy Ellington. Growing up, Ellington and his parents stayed with his maternal grandparents
in a neighborhood in the West End, a Black middle-class neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
Also, growing up, Ellington was surrounded by a very religious family; with his father, a
Methodist and his mother, a Baptiste. Thus, from a young age he was influenced largely by
religion.
Duke Ellingtons interest in the fine arts started at an early age and his interests were
fostered by his family. His mother and father were both pianists. His fathers style consisted
generally of operatic aria (long songs accompanying a solo voice) while his mother fancied
playing parlor songs (popular music performed in parlors of middle-class homes). Due to his
parents background in piano and their encouragement, he started his piano training at the age of
seven. His first piano teacher, apart from his parents, was Marietta Clinkscales.
While Ellington was at Armstrong Technical High School in Washington, D.C., his
friend, Edgar McEntree, gave him the nickname Duke because of his gentlemanly ways and his
dapper attire. At the age of 15, in 1914, Ellington worked as a soda jerk in the Poodle Dog Caf,

here he wrote his first composition, titled Soda Fountain Rag or Poodle Dog Rag as it was
also called.
During his time at the Armstrong Technical High School he studied commercial art. Due
to his artistry, he was awarded an art scholarship to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, in
1916, but he opted out of the scholarship. Consequently, he did not feel as though he was
creatively satisfied and thus, he dropped out of high for the sake of his music.
Dukes piano style was influenced and inspired by an array of pianists: Doc Perry, Cliff
Jackson, Joe Rochester, Louis Brown, Sticky Mack and Bling Johnny. Duke was mostly
influenced by Doc Perry, who helped Duke to garner a better understanding of the piano as an
instrument. Perry also aided in Dukes ability to read music sheets and helped to improve his
piano playing techniques. Henry lee Grant, a music teacher at Dunbar High School in D.C. was
also integral in Dukes music education, in that he gave Duke private lessons in harmony.
Ellington began listening and imitating ragtime pianists in and around his neighborhood,
as well as pianists from Atlantic City and Philadelphia. His passion for ragtime grew as a result
of these performers and it is through their influence that he was encouraged to begin performing
professionally at the age of 17.
In 1917, just a year after he dropped out of high school, Ellington started to work as a
freelance sign-painter. During this time he developed an urge to bring musicians together so that
they could perform for other people, at dances or wherever they could. As a result, later that year,
he was able to form his own group called The Dukes Serenaders. Because of Ellingtons signpainting business, he was able to build his music career, due to the face that people often asked

him to make signs for their parties. When they asked him to do so, he would inquire about the
music for the specific events, and offered to perform if needs be.
In 1912, Duke married Edna Thompson and in 1919 they had a baby boy, Mercer
Kennedy Ellington. They parted ways but he had relations with a few other women.
Ellingtons band consisted of Sonny Greer, on drums, Otto Hardwick on alto saxophone,
Elmer Snowden on banjo and Arthur Whetsol on the trumpet. Their first performance was at
True Reformers Hall and there he only earned 75cents. As years progressed, The Dukes
Serenaders gained notoriety and played extensively throughout Washington, D.C. and Virginia
for private parties, as well as embassy parties. The band accomplished a rare feat and performed
for both African-American and White audiences.
Following his success in Washington, Ellington decided to follow his drummer. Sonny
Greer, to Harlem, to attempt to break into the jazz circuit in New York. They both joined the
Wilber Sweatman Orchestra. However, they left the orchestra with the hopes of forming their
own orchestra, but unfortunately, due to the existence of such a competitive jazz scene, they were
unable to gain as much success as they had in D.C. Notwithstanding, Ellington was able to form
a sextet while in Harlem, of which he was the band leader. Throughout the process of searching
for members for this band, he came across quite a few unique musicians. He encountered Bubber
Miley, a trumpeter, who used a plunger mute to make the wa-wa sound and Joe Nanton, a
trombonist, who was known for playing his trombone with muted growl sounds. In time Dukes
sextet expanded and became a 10-piece ensemble.
Due to the lack of success in his initial trip to Harlem, Duke moved back to Washington,
D.C. and in 1923, while he and his band were performing in Atlantic City, they were granted the

opportunity to play at the Exclusive Club in Harlem, New York. The group that He performed
with initially was known as Elmer Snowden and his Black Sox Orchestra, but, they eventually
renamed themselves The Washingtonians. When Snowden left he group in 1924, Ellington
became the leader of the band.
In 1926, Ellington met Irving Mills, an agent-publisher who aided in the advancement of
Ellingtons career, due to the fact that he allowed him to record prolifically, thus granting
Ellington popular recognition by many. Just after a year of meeting Mills, Ellington and his band
secured a deal at the Cotton Club in Harlem New York. While at the club, he and his band did
weekly radio broadcasts and as a result, Ellington gained national exposure.
Ellington and his band had to withstand trying times throughout their stint together. One
such was the Great Depression. During this time, many artists suffered from financial woes.
Ellington and his orchestra however, were able to maintain popularity by way of radio exposure
and started to tour. An interesting thing to note is that during the time of the Depression, the
music Ellington wrote was very telling to the mood of the era. Songs like Mood Indigo,
Sophisticated Lady, Solitude and In a Sentimental Mood, all reflected the general mood of
the time.
As mentioned prior, Ellingtons orchestra toured quite frequently. They had a large
following in America, but they had a huge following overseas. The band made its first trip in
1932 and subsequent to that, they toured Europe regularly and also made trips to South America,
Australia, West Africa and parts of Asia.
Throughout his lifetime, Duke wrote and composed a plethora of music. It is almost
impossible to list all of his works, however, some of his works included Rocks in My Bed,

Satin Doll, I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart, Hit Me With a Hot Note, Prelude to a
Kiss, Black, Brown and Beige, A Rhapsody of Negro Life and Such Sweet Thunder. He
also wrote music for motion-pictures and several pieces of sacred music. As it regards his band
and his compositions, Ellington always considered the characteristic sounds and tonality of the
different instruments and made music to fit those specific instruments.
Ellington collaborated with numerous musicians throughout his career. One collaborator
that should be mentioned is Billy Strayhorn, with whom his co-arranged many of his songs.
Ellington received many awards for his music, due to the fact that he was a genius innovator and
surpassed countless norms for not only African-American musicians at the time, but American
musicians on a whole. He was the first composer to break the three-minute time limitation of the
78-rpm record. He also could have been considered a voice for Blacks because many of his
songs were centered on the theme of African-American life. He received many awards
throughout his career, including Grammys, an honorary doctorate from Yale University and a
nomination for the Pulitzer Prize.
In May 1974, when Duke Ellington was 75, he died of lung cancer and pneumonia, in
New York City. The impact Duke had on peoples lives was tremendous, and at his funeral, more
than 12000 people were present. His life and legacy has not been forgotten, hence fulfilling the
desire he had when he was alive. His last words were Music is how I live, why I live and how I
will be remembered. After his death, in 2003, he became the first African-American to be
featured on a circulating coin in the USA. He is regarded as one of the greatest jazz composers
and bandleaders of the twentieth century.
Lastly, Harold Arlen was born on February 15, 1905, in Buffalo, New York. Known as
Hymen Arluck at his birth, Arlens interest in music started at a very young age, much like

Ellington. Such interest was attributed to the fact that he grew up in a musical family. His father,
much like Irving Berlin, was a celebrated synagogue cantor and according to Arlen in 1960, his
father improvised wonderful melodies to fit the texts that had no music. At the age of seven,
Arlen followed in his fathers footsteps and started to sing at the synagogue in his fathers choir.
Similar to Duke, Arlens parents encouraged his musical interests. Two years after he
started singing in his fathers choir, Arlens mother bought him a piano. Initially, Arlen was
reluctant in practicing, however, he became a devout classical piano student until 1917. In this
year, the jazz era began to take America by storm and Arlen was instantly swept up in this new
style of music. At the age of 12, he learned a piece called Indianola, a ragtime jazz song and
from then on he and his piano were inseparable.
He was so moved by the jazz movement that he began playing piano and arranging music
for a group he organized called the Snappy Trio, he was also the vocalist of the group. The trio
was well-received and due to their success, they thought it necessary to redefine the group and
they added two more members. The quintet was thus called The Southbound Shufflers. Arlen and
his group gained immediate success and the Shufflers traveled throughout the United States and
even performed in parts of Canada.
When Arlen was 15 years old, he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in music. At
this age he decided to quit school to follow his desire and although his parents were
disappointed, they were not surprised at their sons decision. Arlens band thus grew from a
quintet to an 11-member band and the name of the band switched from the Southbound Shufflers
to the Buffalodians. This band performed frequently at different venues in Buffalo.

While in the Buffalodians, he took the roles of pianist, vocalist and arranger. With the
band, he was able to escape to New York City. AT the ae of 21, he published his first piano solo
piece, Minor Gaff (Blues Fantasy). On the publication, Arlens name was misspelled Harold
Arluck, so he just went with it and changed his surname to Arlen- much like Berlin- which
stemmed from his mothrs maiden name Orlin.
At the age of 22, after the Buffalodians separated, Arlen continued to arrange got other
dance bands. Eventually, he stated to work with Arnold Johnson in his pit orchestra for the
Broadway revue of George Whites Scandals of 1928. In 1929, he got a singing role in a
Broadway musical, Great Day by Vincent Youmans. Here, Youmans decided that Arlen was
needed to assist in playing and arranging music for the shows. During this time, Youmans
introduces Arlen to Ted Koehler, a lyricist, with whom Arlen would work with for some time.
Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen had a successful career to say the least. With Koehler,
Arlen was able to produce his first hit, Get Happy, subsequent to that, the two continued to
make hits. In 1930, in the same year he joined ASCAP, Arlen became staff composer at the
Harlem Cotton Club, a renowned club where other composers, like Duke Ellington, frequented.
Arlen and Koehler collaborated and had a very productive period together. The pair penned
songs such as I Love A Parade, Ive Got the World on a String, Between the Devil and the
Deep Blue Sea and Stormy Weather. Harold and Ted then decided to venture into the movie
business and Lets Fall in Love was their first film success, and hence concreted their
reputations in Hollywood.
While in Hollywood, Arlen worked on many more film musicals. He was introduced to
E.Y. Harburg, a lyricist who would become Arlens next great partner in music. They both were
signed to collaborate on The Wizard of Oz. From this movie came one of the most prolific songs

of all time, Over the Rainbow. The song essentially spoke for every human being and
according to Judy Garland, the song was symbolic of everyones dreams.
Arlen went on to write more music and collaborate with many more people. In Broadway
and in Hollywood, he worked with a plethora of lyricists, namely Jonny Mercer, Ira Gerswhin,
Dorothy Fields, Leo Robin, Truman Capote and Harburg and Koehler who were previously
discussed. He had a wide array of songs and musicals. Some of his musicals include Hooray for
What? in 1937, Bloomer Girl in 1944, Life begins at 8:40 in 1934, St. Louis Woman in 1946,
House of Flowers in 1954 and Saratoga in 1959. Some more of his notable songs include Sweet
and Hot, Now I know and Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive.
Many of his peers sang his praises, however Arlen was a reserved and quiet man and felt
that his songs were better-known than he was. He preferred to spend quiet time with his
family, his wife, Anya, and his son, Sam and also spent time to partake in his non-music related
hobbies.

His music was prolific, but it helped others achieve fame rather than himself.

According to Irving Berlin, Arlen wasnt as well-known as some of the composers of his time,
but he was a better songwriter than most of his counterparts.
Moreover, Arlen also received numerous awards throughout his career. He was
nominated for several Tony Awards, the 1999 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Musical
Production and he was a recipient of an Academy Award for the song Over the Rainbow.
In 1961, Arlen produced his last successful musical, Gay Purr-ee, after which he dabbled
in a few more shows that were not staged. His career slowed down drastically after the death of
his wife in 1970 and distanced himself from all those surrounding him. He suffered from
depression and Parkinsons disease and in 1986, on April 23 rd, Arlen died, because he succumbed

to cancer. He will perhaps be forever known as one of the greatest of all American composers
and songwriters.
Ellington, Arlen and Berlin are all very different composers, however some similarities
are present between them. As seen above, it is clear that within their personal lives they shared
several similarities, in that they all gained an interest in music at an early age and they were
influenced initially by parents who were musically inclined. Also, within each of their styles of
writing, they were deemed one of the greatest in America amongst an array of other composers
and songwriters. Further, all three of them have a tremendously impressive collection of works
and their works have been constantly used and sung throughout the years.
One major similarity between Ellington, Arlen and Irving, as it regards their compositions
and lyrics, is that generally speaking, the melodies and tunes for majority of their songs were
accessible. In that, people listening to their music could easily listen to their music and be able to
relate it to their present lives. Many other notable composers praised each of the three and
commented on their style of music and the impact of their music on audiences around the world.
In one such instance, George Gershwin states in regards to Irving Berlin, I want to say at once
that I frankly believe that Irving Berlin is the greatest songwriter that has ever lived.... His songs
are exquisite cameos of perfection, and each one of them is as beautiful as its neighbor. Irving
Berlin remains, I think, America's Schubert. But apart from his genuine talent for song-writing,
Irving Berlin has had a greater influence upon American music than any other one man. It was
Irving Berlin who was the very first to have created a real, inherent American music.... Irving
Berlin was the first to free the American song from the nauseating sentimentality which had
previously characterized it, and by introducing and perfecting ragtime he had actually given us
the first germ of an American musical idiom; he had sown the first seeds of an American music.

Composer Douglas Moore also postulates that he has caught and immortalized in his songs
what we say, what we think about, and what we believe. Jerome Kern also noted that Irving
Berlin has no place in American musiche is American music. Emotionally, he honestly
absorbs the vibrations emanating from the people, manners and life of his time and, in turn, gives
these impressions back to the worldsimplified, clarified and glorified.
As it regards Duke Ellington, many of his bandmates speak of his music: "The writing
and playing of music is a matter of intent.... You can't just throw a paint brush against the wall
and call whatever happens art. My music fits the tonal personality of the player. I think too
strongly in terms of altering my music to fit the performer to be impressed by accidental music.
You can't take doodling seriously. Clive James, a writer for The New Yorker states that
Ellington was a language: many-voiced, a conversation in itself, but a language nonetheless, or
rather all the more. The most wonderful thing about the Ellington language was that it could be
listened to only in the way it was created, through love.
In the case of Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer states that his melodies are way out- they
take unexpected twists and turns. ''The distinctive Arlen touch,'' the critic John S. Wilson wrote
in The New York Times in 1978, ''was the jazz-based, blues-rooted quality of his music. Such
songs as 'Stormy Weather' and 'Blues in the Night' place him, as a composer, alongside Duke
Ellington rather than Richard Rodgers or Jerome Kern or Irving Berlin.''
All in all, although the composers each possessed certain characteristics which not only
defined them, but defined their music, they all shared the gift of being able to positively impact
people. Hence, as mentioned prior, they are still very much so present in the American music
context today.

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