Yamekraw

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Yamekraw, a Negro Rhapsody is a jazz musical composition written by James P. Johnson in 1927 about a neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia. [1] It was a response to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue . It was initially composed for the piano, but was first performed at Carnegie Hall as a jazz-like orchestral arrangement. [2] A recording was made of Johnson performing the music on piano. A film inspired by the song was also made.

Contents

Song name

The Yamacraw Market on Fahm Street in Savannah circa 1940 Yamacraw Market, Fahn Street, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia.jpg
The Yamacraw Market on Fahm Street in Savannah circa 1940

Yamacraw was a black neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia. The song was inspired by the culture of the neighborhood, and billed as a more "authentic" rhapsody. [3] [4] [ failed verification ]

Film

Murray Roth directed a short 1930 musical film inspired by the song. [5] The film has been referred to by the title Yamekraw and Yamacraw. [6] It is a Vitaphone Varieties film produced by Warner Brothers. The film depicts a poor man from a rural area travelling to a large city where he encounters a dancer. [7] Jimmy Mordecai portrayed the lead character. [8] In the film, Yamekraw is described as a settlement outside Savannah, Georgia. The film was shown in 2009. [9] The song is included on the album The Symphonic Jazz of James P. Johnson.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "James P. Johnson's 'Yamekraw, A Negro Rhapsody'". NPR.org.
  2. ↑ Howland, John (2006). "Jazz Rhapsodies in Black and White: James P. Johnson's 'Yamekraw'". American Music. 24 (4): 445–509. doi:10.2307/25046051. JSTOR   25046051.
  3. ↑ "Robert Sengstacke Abbott".
  4. ↑ Michaeli, Ethan (January 12, 2016). The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   9780547560878 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "YAMEKRAW". Library of Congress.
  6. ↑ Yamekraw. October 29, 1930. OCLC   17772503 – via Open WorldCat.
  7. ↑ "Yamekraw". www.tcm.com.
  8. ↑ Richards, Larry (September 17, 2015). African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography. McFarland. ISBN   9781476610528 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Times, The New York (February 5, 2009). "Film Series and Movie Listings". The New York Times.
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