Black, Brown and Beige

E124104

Black, Brown and Beige is a landmark jazz composition by Duke Ellington, conceived as an extended orchestral suite that chronicles the African American experience in the United States.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Black, Brown and Beige canonical 9

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf extended work ⓘ
jazz composition ⓘ
orchestral suite ⓘ
commissionedBy self-commissioned by Duke Ellington ⓘ
composer Duke Ellington ⓘ
containsMotif spiritual-inspired themes ⓘ
containsSong Come Sunday ⓘ
Work Song ⓘ
criticalReceptionAtPremiere mixed ⓘ
dedicatedTo African American people ⓘ
describedAs tone parallel to the history of the Negro in America ⓘ
era Swing era ⓘ
linked to: Big band era
firstPerformer Duke Ellington Orchestra ⓘ
form suite ⓘ
genre jazz ⓘ
hasPart Beige ⓘ
Black ⓘ
Brown ⓘ
hasTitleMeaning symbolic colors representing phases of African American history ⓘ
historicalScope from slavery to the 20th century ⓘ
influencedBy African American spirituals ⓘ
European symphonic tradition ⓘ
blues ⓘ
gospel music ⓘ
inMusicHistory one of the first large-scale jazz suites for concert hall ⓘ
keyFigureInCreation Billy Strayhorn ⓘ
label Columbia Records ⓘ
language instrumental ⓘ
laterCriticalStatus early example of long-form jazz work ⓘ
landmark in jazz composition ⓘ
movementCount 3 ⓘ
narrativeTheme African American experience in the United States ⓘ
notableVocalFeature “Come Sunday” ⓘ
notableVocalist Mahalia Jackson ⓘ
orchestrationType big band with expanded orchestral forces ⓘ
performancePractice often performed in shortened versions ⓘ
premiereCity New York City ⓘ
premiereCountry United States ⓘ
premiereDate 1943-01-23 ⓘ
premierePlace Carnegie Hall ⓘ
recording 1944 studio excerpts by Duke Ellington ⓘ
1958 album “Black, Brown and Beige” with Mahalia Jackson ⓘ
subgenre big band jazz ⓘ
subjectMatter African American cultural contribution ⓘ
emancipation ⓘ
segregation ⓘ
slavery ⓘ
workChronologyPosition major mid-career work of Duke Ellington ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Duke Ellington → notableWork → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
Duke Ellington → notableWork → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
subject linked to: Duke
Duke Ellington Orchestra → notableWork → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
Come Sunday → partOf → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
subject linked to: “Come Sunday”
Come Sunday → originallyComposedFor → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
subject linked to: “Come Sunday”
Come Sunday → movementOf → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
subject linked to: “Come Sunday”
Come Sunday → partOf → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
Work Song → partOf → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
Duke Ellington → notableWork → Black, Brown and Beige ⓘ
subject linked to: Work Song