Lenox Avenue
By Ralph Graves
Wednesday, April 16, at 9:00 am, Analog Masters has a special guest, NPR host Celeste Headlee. She introduces three pieces by her grandfather, William Grant Still. Included is his indelible musical portrait of life in Harlem in the 1930s, Lenox Avenue.
William Grant Still was there, alongside W.C. Handy, at the birth of the blues. He went to Broadway with Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle for the hit show Shufflin’ Along. His original compositions helped provide the soundtrack for the Harlem Renaissance. With assistance from the composer’s granddaughter, we present historic recordings of three of Still’s greatest scores: the Afro-American Symphony, Violin Suite, and Lenox Avenue.
Analog Masters
Wednesdays at 9:00 am and 4:00 pm
exclusively on CharlottesvilleClassical.org
Featured recordings:
Still: Lenox Avenue – Howard Barlow/CBS Symphony
Lenox Avenue. Bay Cities (1938)
Still: Violin Suite, “African Dance” – Louis Kaufman; Henry Sverdrofsky/Standard Hour Symphony
Lenox Avenue, .Bay Cities (1947)
Still: Afro-American Symphony – Paul Freeman/London Symphony
Black Composers Series. Sony (1974)
