Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life
1935
9 min
movie
5.8/ 10
Overview
Cohen Film Collection introduces this classic short staring Duke Ellington, featuing a brief vocal by a 19-year-old Billie Holiday, and a performance of Ellington’s jazz composition along symphonic lines. Ellington plays his symphonic jazz piece, “A Rhapsody of Negro Life,” with his orchestra against slice-of-life background scenes.