Capturing the mastery and pure genius of Duke Ellington this is a hard to find short that definitely swings. It is split into four movements and each is accompanied by a story designed to fit the music.
Of course it is the music that makes this - Ellington really was responsible for orchestrating jazz and moving it from simple syncopation to something defined the swing jazz that Astaire and others would run with in the 1930s.
Symphony in Swing is also notable as it has an all Black cast - Ellington made several shorts where it is the Black Stars that shine and they hold up beautifully even today. The music is infectious and beautiful - and Symphony is more than just fun, it is serious entertainment, from the stories to the dancing - a wonderful evocation of Harlem and New York in its heyday.
Of course it is the music that makes this - Ellington really was responsible for orchestrating jazz and moving it from simple syncopation to something defined the swing jazz that Astaire and others would run with in the 1930s.
Symphony in Swing is also notable as it has an all Black cast - Ellington made several shorts where it is the Black Stars that shine and they hold up beautifully even today. The music is infectious and beautiful - and Symphony is more than just fun, it is serious entertainment, from the stories to the dancing - a wonderful evocation of Harlem and New York in its heyday.
