Harlem Air Shaft

"Harlem Air Shaft" is a piece of music composed by American jazz composer and musician Duke Ellington, first recorded for RCA Victor and released in 1940. Featured in 38 recordings since, it was a popular piece in both Ellington's repertoire and among jazz trumpeters such as Clark Terry. It is generally considered programmatic by some composers and scholars, acting as a narration of everyday noises heard in 1930s New York City.

Background

Ellington composed ''Harlem Air Shaft'' in 1940, during a time of relative creative freedom afforded by his contract with Victor. As Ellington noted in a 1944 interview published in ''The New Yorker'', the composition was his attempt at capturing the essence of city life through music (though the exact inspiration for the piece and its working title has remained unclear). This is achieved through dramatic changes in key accompanied by colorful instrumentation. Professor Edward Green of the Manhattan School of Music describes ''Harlem Air Shaft'' as a piece of program music, or a series of musical "chapters" intended to create an experience similar to that of a book. Ellington recounted his inspiration in a 1944 interview published in ''The New Yorker'':

Structure

The introduction consists of 12 bars, divided into three four-bar segments marked by key changes. The following 32 bars structurally repeat these segments as three 8-bar choruses and one 4-bar refrain. Throughout the piece are subtle references to traditional African American tunes, such as a brief trombone part that resembles "I Love Bread and Butter" appearing during the introduction. Much of the improvisation is arpeggio-based, while the trumpet parts have a distinct blues-like style. The trumpet was played by Cootie Williams on the original July 1940 recording.

The piece as a programmatic composition

The idea that the content of the music is programmatic, or entirely a product of the everyday 1940s New York City experience, is almost always associated with the piece. According to a 1940 interview with Ellington, it was inspired by everyday noises heard in New York City, specifically the namesake, air shaft, found between housing units. A program for ''Harlem Air Shaft'', published by Richard O. Boyer in ''The New Yorker'' in 1944, was apparently provided by Ellington while the band was traveling. Yet, the narrative as provided by Ellington, while reflected in the title, is controversial; there is no evidence of a program written prior to the piece, and Ellington in later interviews appeared to embellish the details of the piece's narrative. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the piece was originally titled ''Once Over Lightly'', a phrase written by Ellington on the original score.

Critical reception

While Duke Ellington received nine Grammy Hall of Fame awards as well as twenty-four total Grammy nominations, ''Harlem Air Shaft'' never received any Grammy nominations or awards. While there was little said about this piece from critics at the time of its creation, many reviews can be found that have been published since Ellington's passing that praised his ability to perfectly encapsulate the natural sounds and atmosphere of early 1900s Harlem.

See also

*List of program music
*List of 1930s jazz standards
*Ventilation shaft
*Duke Ellington discography

References

{{Reflist

Compositions by Duke Ellington
1940 compositions
1940 in music
Jazz compositions in A-flat major
Duke Ellington songs
Songs about New York City