{"id":631,"date":"2021-06-08T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2021\/2021\/06\/08\/the-cotton-club-the-staple-of-black-talent-in-the-harlem-renaissance\/"},"modified":"2021-06-08T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T15:30:00","slug":"the-cotton-club-the-staple-of-black-talent-in-the-harlem-renaissance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2021\/2021\/06\/08\/the-cotton-club-the-staple-of-black-talent-in-the-harlem-renaissance\/","title":{"rendered":"Cotton Club: The Staple of Black Talent in The Harlem Renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In continuation of NYS Music\u2019s series celebrating the Harlem Renaissance<\/a> in its centennial years, it is important to highlight the Cotton Club which was instrumental in displaying Black talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"harlem<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before it was the Cotton Club<\/a>, the venue was owned by the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson. It was called the Club Deluxe, a nightclub with 400 seats in 1920. It was located in the core part of Harlem, at 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue. About two years later in 1922, Owen \u201cOwney\u201d Madden, a leading figure of the underworld, purchased the venue while doing time in Sing Sing Prison. Under his leadership, the Cotton Club developed and expanded into a venue with 700 seats. The venue gained fame through radio broadcasts on a national level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cotton Club was founded during the prohibition era, a time when selling alcohol was illegal. Madden used the club to sell his beer despite the restrictions. The club temporarily closed in 1925 due to the illegal sales but quickly reopened with no issues. After the reopening, a man named Herman Stark took over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Performers for White Audience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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In alignment with the time period, Cotton Club was a whites-only establishment, however, the performers and staff were Black. The Black staff members weren\u2019t allowed to mingle with the all white-audience. The girls in the chorus were required to be tan or of a light complexion, tall, and under 21 years old and presented in scantily clad and revealing attire. The requirements for the male performers were less restricting and their skin tones were more diverse. After finishing the shows, the performers convened in the basement in the building next to the club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Overall the Cotton Club reproduced stereotypical imagery of Black people which dehumanized them. Oftentimes the performers were portrayed as savages in the jungle or with themes of being on a plantation. While the conditions of their work was compromising and not ideal, the high profile clientele that they attracted resulted in high wages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The venue\u2019s theme of a white audience consuming Black talent, launched the careers of many legendary Black musicians. In 1927, famous jazz composer and bandleader, Duke Ellington<\/a>, took the Cotton Club to another level. Ellington\u2019s band became the house band, and they were expected to produce \u201cjungle music\u201d. His first revue was titled \u201cRhythmania\u201d and featured jazz singer, Adelaide Hall<\/a>,<\/a> who also recorded several songs with Ellington during that time; including their hit \u201cCreole Love Call\u201d. During his time at the Cotton Club, he recorded over 100 compositions and experimented with creating arrangements. Just like radio broadcasts helped the venue gain attention, it did the same for Ellington and his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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