''Blackbirds of 1928'' was a hit Broadway musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

that starred

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hal ...

, Bill Bojangles Robinson, Tim Moore and Aida Ward, with music by

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, Ju ...

and lyrics by

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), " On t ...

. It contained the hit songs "Diga Diga Do", the duo's first hit, "

I Can't Give You Anything But Love "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" is an American popular song and jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). The song was introduced by Adelaide Hall at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928 in Lew ...

", "Bandanna Babies" and "I Must Have That Man" all sung by Hall. Vu (magazine) N°77

History

''Blackbirds of 1928'' was the idea of impresario Lew Leslie, who planned to build the show around

Florence Mills Florence Mills (born Florence Winfrey; January 25, 1896 – November 1, 1927), billed as the "Queen of Happiness", was an American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian. Life and career Florence Mills (Florence Winfrey) was born a daughter of for ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

after her success in the hit 1926 show ''Blackbirds'' in London. Mills died of appendicitis in 1927 before rehearsals for the new show had started and Hall was enlisted to replace her. ''Blackbirds of 1928'' started its life as a floorshow at Les Ambassadeurs Club on 57th Street, New York with songs written by Jimmy McHugh and

. Fields recalled, ‘''Lew Leslie (the producer) hired us to do a show called Blackbirds of 1928. First, we’d written songs for a show of his in a club called Les Ambassadeurs, where we had Roger Wolfe Kahn (

Otto Kahn Otto Hermann Kahn (February 21, 1867 – March 29, 1934) was a German-born American investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. Kahn was a well-known figure, appearing on the cover of '' Time'' magazine and was sometim ...

’s son) and his orchestra, and a lovely lady named Adelaide Hall, who sang''.’ McHugh recalled, ‘''I knew about Roger Wolfe Kahn wanting to close the club, and I told Lew Leslie, and Lew went up and made arrangements to take it over. This was the start of the show called Blackbirds of 1928. Leslie opened Les Ambassadeurs with the first half of the show''.’ The show was a great hit. McHugh continued, ‘''From there we wrote a second half and we took the show to Atlantic City''.’ After the tryout in

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

the show opened on Broadway. It was the first Broadway show for which Fields and McHugh had written the entire score and turned out to be a milestone in their respective careers and was one of the most successful shows they were ever connected with. Adelaide Hall 1921

Productions

The show originally opened on January 4, 1928, under the heading ''The Blackbird Revue'' at Les Ambassadeurs Nightclub in New York, before transferring in May 1928 to the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnersh ...

on Broadway, where Lew Leslie changed the shows name to ''Blackbirds of 1928''. The original

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production opened at the

on May 9, 1928, where it ran for 518 performances, becoming the longest running all-black show on Broadway. It was directed by producer Lew Leslie and starred Hall, Bill Bojangles Robinson.Photograph of Bojangles posing on the stairs he used to perform his stair dance in ''Blackbirds of 1928'' http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=303371&imageID=485154&word=19724&s=1¬word=&d=&c=&f=13&k=4&lWord=&lField=&sScope=Name&sLevel=&sLabel=Vandamm%20Studio&sort=&total=2623&num=320&imgs=20&pNum=&pos=329 Aida Ward, Tim Moore, Blue McAllister, the Blackbirds Beauty Chorus and the Famous Blackbirds Orchestra conducted by Felix Weir. Also in the cast were Johnny Hudgins,

Eloise C. Uggams Eloise Colcolough Uggams (December 20, 1896 – July 14, 1972) was an American soprano singer. She was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and appeared in Broadway musicals. Early life Uggams was born in Florida or South Carolina (sources ...

Elisabeth Welch Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904July 15, 2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades. Her best-known songs were " Stormy Weather", " Love for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was ...

, Mantan Moreland,

Cecil Mack Cecil Mack (November 6, 1873 – August 1, 1944) was an American composer, lyricist and music publisher. Biography Born as Richard Cecil McPherson in Portsmouth, Virginia, he attended the Norfolk Mission College and Lincoln University in Pennsyl ...

, and

Nina Mae McKinney Nina Mae McKinney (June 12, 1912 – May 3, 1967) was an American actress who worked internationally during the 1930s and in the postwar period in theatre, film and television, after beginning her career on Broadway and in Hollywood. Dubbed " ...

. Orchestral arrangements were by Will Vodery. On 7 June 1929, the original Broadway production opened at the

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...

, Paris, France, where it became the hit of the season. In Paris it ran for three months before returning to the US for an American road tour.

Musical numbers and Sketches (in order of performance)

Prologue: Way Down South

*''The Call of the South'' *''Shuffle Your Feet'' *''Dixie''

Revue Part One

Aunt Jemima Stroll Scene in Jungleland *''Diga Diga Do'' Bear Cat Jones Last Fight

*''Song'' *''Trio'' What a Night ''Bandanna Babies'' Playing According to Hoyle Three Bad Men From Harlem Porgy (with apologies to the Theatre Guild and Dorothy and DuBose Heyward) *''Porgy'' ''Finale (part one)''

Revue Part Two

Magnolia's Wedding Day Earl Tucker Giving His Conception of the Low-Down Dance Picking a Plot ''Doin' the New Low-Down'' Getting Married in Harlem ''I Must Have That Man'' Here Comes My Blackbird *''Song'' *''A Memory of 1927'' ''Finale (part two)''

Recordings

* Adelaide Hall, accompanied by George Rickson (piano), "Baby" & "I Must Have That Man". Victor Rec, June 21, 1928 (test)"Underneath a Harlem Moon: The Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall
(Bayou Jazz Lives)" * E-28059 Adelaide Hall with Lew Leslie's Blackbird Orchestra. "I Must Have That Man" & "Baby". Brunswick 4031. August 14, 1928 * B12773-A. Adelaide Hall with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

& His Famous Orchestra-"I Must Have That Man" & b/w "Baby". Blu Disc T1001. December 21, 1932 * Warren Mills and His Blue Serenaders recorded ''Gems from Blackbirds of 1928'', being three titles, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Doin' the New Lowdown" and "I Must Have That Man". This orchestra of 25 musicians included Arthur Whetsel,

Bubber Miley Bubber is a nickname and surname which may refer to: People: * Bubber or Bubba Brooks (1922-2002), American jazz tenor saxophonist * James Bubber Epps (born 1943), American politician * Clarence James Bubber Jonnard (1897-1977), American Major Leag ...

and

Freddie Jenkins Freddie Jenkins (October 10, 1906 – 1978) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and works He was born in New York City, United States. Jenkins played in the Jenkins Orphanage Band when young, and attended Wilberforce University. Following this ...

on trumpet,

Joe Nanton Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (February 1, 1904 – July 20, 1946) was an American trombonist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Early life Joe Nanton was born Joseph Irish Nanton in New York City, United States. His parents were John Barzly Nanton an ...

on trombone,

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creole parents, Ale ...

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

and

Harry Carney Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments but primarily used the baritone saxophone ...

on reeds, Duke Ellington on piano, Fred Guy on banjo,

Wellman Braud Wellman Braud (January 25, 1891 – October 29, 1966) was an American jazz upright bassist. His family sometimes spelled their last name "Breaux", pronounced "Bro". Born in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Braud settled in New Orleans, in his ear ...

, bass,

Sonny Greer William Alexander "Sonny" Greer (December 13, c. 1895 – March 23, 1982) was an American jazz drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with Duke Ellington. Biography Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, United States, and p ...

, drums, an unknown female vocalist plus the 10-voice Hal Johnson choir, and

Matty Malneck Matthew Michael "Matty" Malneck (December 9, 1903 – February 25, 1981) was an American jazz violinist, songwriter, and arranger. Career Born in 1903, Malneck's career as a violinist began when he was age 16. He was a member of the Paul White ...

, violinist and conductor. See Luciano Massagli and Giovanni M. Volonté, ''The New Desor, An updated edition of Duke Ellington's Story on Records 1924-1974'', Milano, 1999 session DE2819 and Dr. Klaus Stratemann, ''Duke Ellington, Day by Day and Film by Film'', Jazzmedia ApS, Denmark, p. 1. December 20, 1928,

1933 recordings

In February 1933,

Jack Kapp Jack Kapp (born Jacob Kaplitzky; June 15, 1901 – March 25, 1949) was a record company executive with Brunswick Records who founded the American Decca Records in 1934 along with British Decca founder Edward Lewis and later American Decca head M ...

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...

assembled an all-star group of Brunswick artists to record the entire score. Issued on six 10" 78s (6516 through 6521), available in an album set (the first such set of popular music from a Broadway show) and also sold individually: * 6516

& His Famous Orchestra - "Blackbirds Medley, parts 1 and 2" * 6517

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...

with Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" b/w Mills Brothers with

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalis ...

and Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - "Doin' The New Lowdown" * 6518 Adelaide Hall with Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra - "I Must have That Man" & b/w "Baby". Brunswick. January 7, 1933 * 6519 Mills Brothers - "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" b/w Mills Brothers with Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - "Diga Diga Doo" * 6520

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

with

Don Redman Donald Matthew Redman (July 29, 1900 – November 30, 1964) was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader, and composer. Biography Redman was born in Piedmont, Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. His father was a music teacher ...

& His Orchestra - "Doin' The New Lowdown" b/w Don Redman & His Orchestra with Harry and Donald Mills - "Shuffle Your Feet (And Just Roll Along)" and "Bandana Babies" * 6521 Ethel Waters with Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - "Porgy" b/w Cecil Mack Choir with Ethel Waters - "

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

Bibliography

* Williams, Iain Cameron (2002)
Underneath A Harlem Moon
*Williams, Iain Cameron
''The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue''
iwp Publishing, February 17, 2022, - chapters 10 & 11 cover the staging of ''Blackbirds of 1928''.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackbirds Of 1928 1928 musicals Broadway musicals Revues