Cotton Club History [Best on Youtube]

I created this short 5-minute video of the History of the Cotton Club. I felt it was a great history lesson. 
I do not own the video or audio being presented.
Created by PowerBliss Enterprise Inc. (Willard Deshun Allen) Voiceover: Dawn Dai

[genethanthonyneff]

Love the film on the Cotton Club I've seen many photos from that time which my parents lived the era which was such an elegant time.

[Madfattdeeb]

Thank you for making this video. This was my first stop on learning about the history of the "Cotton Club." I am very interested in the musical artist who performed there as well.
I am sad that they didn't preserve the building. How great would have been as a functional venue and museum?

[Keeng_Aman_Duh]

I agree the Best on in 5 minutes. Yassss MA'AM!

[DavidPalmquist-ou]

The second title screen at 0:13 says 920 Cotton Club. There was no Cotton Club in 1920.

Immediately following, we see Jack Johnson coming out of a building while the voice-over says he rented the upper floor of the building at Lenox at 142nd and opened the Club de Luxe there. This is not that building nor did he rent the space for that club until 1923. He fled the country while out on bail in 1913, returned voluntarily in mid-1920, and was jailed immediately. He wasn't released from Leavenworth until July 1921 and did other things for a while. The building, which the video shows at 3:48, was built in 1921.

At 0:36 the narrator says Owney Madden opened the Cotton Club in 1923. The club opened in 1924.

0:40 -The still photo of the Cotton Club is not the first Cotton Club in Harlem, rather, it is the second Cotton Club which opened in 1936.

0:50- The photo of the building with the Cotton Club awning is neither the first or second Cotton Club.


2:13-The narrator says Fletcher Henderson led the first band to play at Cotton Club in 1923. The club didn't exist in 1923 and while he might have played the club for a week in 1924, I have not found evidence of this.

2:20-The Ellington footage is from a Soundie made in California in late 1941. Cotton Club went out of business in mid-1940

2:22-The narrator says Ellington was the house band from December 4, 1927 - June 30, 1931. Ellington's dates at the first Cotton Club were December 4, 1927 to June 13, 1930 with two May and June 1929 breaks, from September 14, 1930 to February 3, 1931, a few days in February 1932 and March 9 to May 31, 1933.

2:35 - The narrator says Ellington's first revue when he took over in December 1927 was Rhyth-mania, and supports that with a sheet music cover of a song from the show, crediting lyrics and music to Koehler and Arlen. They took over from songwriters Fields and McHugh in or after 1929. Rhyth-mania was the revue that opened in October 1931.

3;49 - A still photo of the Harlem Cotton Club taken in December 1927 is shown while the narrator says the club reopened at Broadway and 48th



5:03-A still shot of a night club interior is the same overall shape of the Cotton Club interior, but the decor does not match. While the overall shape of the room is similar to an interior shot of the Harlem Cotton Club, there is no railing separating the dining tables from the dance floor and the stage lacks the southern mansion motif. The shot also does not resemble the midtown club - we don't see a high ceiling and the murals are not the Julian Harrison work shown in the Cotton Club World's Fair Edition 1939 programme

Ths video is so disappointing even though it looks so professional. Pity.

[lacomarcadelswing]

There is no data on which was the first Cotton Club band. According to Jim Haskins it was Andy Preer's band, but some sources place it in 1924 in Chicago ... with complete certainty Andy Preer's band was the local band at the Cotton Club during 1925, 1926 and half of 1927, until the Andy Preer's death in May.

[tanyapeterson]

YES ME TOO I LOVE HISTORY! THE COTTON CLUB WAS THEE PLACE TO

[lacomarcadelswing]

1st picture of The Cotton Club is not from Harlem is from Broadway. 2nd picture is a new version of the club (nowadays). 3rd picture is a photoshop of a brand new band (Jubilee Jumpers)...

[maxwilson]

Glad to see Harlem has made a comeback. Answer the crack epidemic white real estate developers but it was time to make some magic happen again! Wonderful Harlem history. Keep up the wonderful posts.

[eldoradoreefgold]

you've totally forgotten mister billy strayhorne the actual composer and arranger for duke ellington!

[lacomarcadelswing]

Fletcher Henderson's wasn't the first home band...The club opened the door in december 23, 1923, but along 1924 Fletcher Henderson's was the home band in Club Alabam (january 1924) and Roseland Ballroom (july first and then october with L. Armstrong)

[lunes-]

🍸🎩🎩👞👞🎵🎹🥁🎺🍹
🎞📽🎬The Broadway Cotton Club

[brandonworkman]

any truth to charlie workman being part owner back then in a book i have it says charlie workman gave cab calloway his 1st break at the cotton club

[bradstine]

21 and under! How many went in as vergins and how many left out untouched? Was their any law governing that reality? We like to play many moral games but how much of it we actually follow and enforce? And if so what's the actual focus 🤔 😕 🙃 🙄? What a world we're in!

[rickymetzenbomb]

Why not get a little more original and not read directly from wiki?

[stephaniemartin-ward]

So you just took your narration directly from the Wikipedia page? Lame. Write your own content.