The
Project, mutually conceived by Messrs Danso and Cozens tells the stories of
three of the finest American Musical Composers, Mr. Harold Arlen, Mr. Duke
Ellington 
and
Mr. Cole Porter, through the Musical contribution they made which touched
the lives of so many people of their Generation as well as those of us who
are fortunate enough to be exposed to that music today.
The
story begins in Harlem in the late 1920’s . Harlem is a place where
Blacks – or “Colored People” as they were then called,-
have made a life and a culture for themselves, away from the oppressive “Jim
Crow” segregation laws that prevailed in the Southern as well as other
parts of America.
The Cotton Club was no exception to this rule. Gangster Owney Madden bought
the Club in 1922 from the ex-Heavyweight Champion of the World Mr.Jack Johnson
who needed the money to pay off his loan sharks. Madden changed the name of
the Gentleman’s Club to The Cotton Club, renovated and gave it a Plantation
Theme then made the former owner and Heavyweight Champion of the World his
Doorman. ….While Blacks served drinks, as well as sang and danced onstage,
there was a “Whites Only” policy off-stage. Audiences were strictly
White.. The Cotton club did not cater at all to the members of the community
which surrounded it. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra were the Houseband and
broadcast shows on the radio all over America. As a result, The Cotton Club,
Duke Ellington, and Harlem became world-famous.
Harold
Arlen wrote music for many of the shows that were put on at the Cotton Club,
and met the most famous celebrities of the time… Mae West, Fatty Arbuckle,
Babe Ruth, Douglas Fairbanks and Jean Harlow were only a few… They heard
his music and after collaborating with Dorothy Fields Ted Koehler and others
on Broadway Musicals, the invitation to go to Hollywood and write for film
soon followed. In Hollywood he met the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin,et
all.
Cole Porter was a true world traveler. Besides writing brilliantly for the Broadway Musical, Porter also wrote for film.. He and Harold Arlen crossed paths many times in Hollywood, although they never collaborated on a Project..Cole Porter remains a luminous personality in the American Musical theater and his ability to “play pictures for the minds” of his listeners is truly remarkable.. His music translates wonderfully in all media ( Radio, Film, Stage, etc )..
Hollywood
used the music of these gifted individuals in the films of the day. The Black
pioneers of the Big screen, The Nicholas Brothers, Hattie MacDaniel ( who
was the first Black individual to receive an Oscar for her performance as
“Mammy” in “Gone With The Wind”) Billy Eckstein, Lena
Horne, Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway, Ethel Waters 
et
all, enthusiastically embraced the material and created , not only the hit
records of the day, but used the music as a vehicle to inspire young black
individuals to reach past the limitations placed upon them by society . By
their example, they showed what could be achieved..
It is said that ‘Music is the Universal Language,’ and that it can strike a responsive chord in all who take the time to listen.
Take the time to listen to this music and let Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington and Cole Porter tell you a story of the emerging Courage, Joy and Pride of a People ..From Harlem to Hollywood – The Cotton Club Chronicles.. Thank You.