This documentary covers a neglected part of Duke Ellington's legacy. "Jump For Joy" was groundbreaking in the way it broke free from the conventional ways that black actors were portayed on stage, and of course there was a lot of great music that came out of the show. I found the program to be well--researched, well-produced, and broad in its appeal. There are plenty of rare Ellington performances and there are stories about innovative performers - dancers, musicians, actors and comedians - that I was completely unfamiliar with. It's a quick hour, its got a lot of substance and it would work well on any station with a jazz format or any station that is looking for a program for black history month.
Comments by Peter Solomon
Comment for "Jump for Joy - Duke Ellington's Celebratory Musical"
Peter Solomon
Posted on January 07, 2008 at 09:05 AM | Permalink
Review of Jump for Joy - Duke Ellington's Celebratory Musical
This documentary covers a neglected part of Duke Ellington's legacy. "Jump For Joy" was groundbreaking in the way it broke free from the conventional ways that black actors were portayed on stage, and of course there was a lot of great music that came out of the show. I found the program to be well--researched, well-produced, and broad in its appeal. There are plenty of rare Ellington performances and there are stories about innovative performers - dancers, musicians, actors and comedians - that I was completely unfamiliar with. It's a quick hour, its got a lot of substance and it would work well on any station with a jazz format or any station that is looking for a program for black history month.
Peter Solomon
Jazz Host, WCVE-FM
Richmond, VA