The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1942-12-26
ELLINGTON IS
TOP BILLING
AT PARADISE
Brings All Star r evue
With Him

Primitive Negro melodies and
rhythms not only have had a mark
ed effect on modern dance music
but even on the instruments used by
dance bands, according TO Duke Ell
lngton, Harlem's Aristocrat OF Jazz
whose understanding Of barbaric
Jungle harmonies took him from a
night club to a Ziegfield show.
Ellington, who will be featured
with his famous orchestra at the
Paradise theatre formerly Orches-
ira HalD all week starting Christ
mas day friday, points out thai
the rhumba, which really is 4the
broken rhythm of the African jan-
gle favored with Spanish melody
has added some strange, weird In
struments to the usual equipment OF
the modern dance band.
The queer rhythm of the rhumba
are emphasized by the use Of the
tom tom, a primitive Negro insru-
ment; Of the gourd. another product
Of the jungle, and Of the claws,
which is simply one stick beaten
with another" he says.
Rhumba Music
"The rhumba, Of course, origin
sted in Cuba, which has a mixture
Of Spanish people and Negroes max
ing up its population. The Rhumba
is a child Of the music OF the two
races. Its broken rhythms are its
main characteristics, and they are
supplied by instruments Of jungle
origin.
The colored musician deserves
his reputation as an N ,rpretor OF
hot jazz. He has an instructive
feeling for such music, a natural
knack for playing it which cannot
be copied. It was the colored mu-
stefan who introduced the mutes
now used by nearly every player
Of brass instruments. To obtain the
weird, queer effects typical Of those
primitive Negro melodies. colored
trumpet and trombone players be-
gan to use the hands, ierby hats
and other objects to muffle and
distort the sound Of thek instru-
ments.
Then special mutes of wood or
metal began - make their appear
ance and thy are obtainable today
In almost every conceivable size
and shape, each producing a differ
ent effect.
"Colored bands like plenty Of
bras and it Is a result of this in
fluence that many white bands
which formerly used a single from
bone and two trumpets are utilizing
at least three trumpets and two
trombones in their brass ection.
II have three trombones and three
trumpets in my band. with four
saxophone players, all of whom
double on the clarinet, a banjo. a
bass player, drums and piano. With
the aid OF mutes. we are able TO play
Just as sweetly as bands with violins
or other Instrumentation
Dukes Fine Band
Duke is best known for his Mood
Indigo and BLACK and Tan Fan
tasy," and is also admired by the
better critics Of many other compo-
sttions for which he finds his sub
jeets close at hand. and whose very
titles reveal the essential unity OF
his music-making with the life Of
his people in deep South or dark
est Harlem; BLACK Beauty" Rude
Interlude," awful Sad" Saturday
Night Function" "Parlor Social
Stomp, Rent Party Blues" Song
of the Cotton Field" Jungle Nights
In Harlem" and "Swampy River"
Ellington will bring TO Detroit.
Chrs tmas day star studded stage
revue including such favoriles as
pretty Betty Roche, Jimmy Britton,
Johnny Hodges, Rex Stuart and Ray
Nance. On the same program the
TINT Of Song, Lillian Fitzgerald and
Jig Saw Jackson. As an extra ad.
ded attraction, Patterson ant Jack
son II their newest comedy routine
Make up a party and attend the
Gala New Years Eve show at the
Paradise theatre-with a great stage
show healed by Duke Ellington and
his famous orchestra-No increase
in pricesl
Secrets Of the Underground
The screen will be the first De-
troit showing Of Secrets OF the
Underground" starring John Hub
bard, Virginia Grey and Lloyd Cor
rigan. The story deals with the ef-
fort Of young criminal investigator
and his newspaperwoman sweet