Clad in white tie and tails; dancing and scatting his way through the "Hi-de-ho" chorus of "Minnie the Moocher;" Cab Calloway exuded a sly charm and sophistication that endeared him to legions of fans.In Hi-de-ho; author Alyn Shipton offers the first full-length biography of Cab Calloway; whose vocal theatrics and flamboyant stage presence made him one of the highest-earning African American bandleaders. Shipton sheds new light on Calloways life and career; explaining how he traversed racial and social boundaries to become one of the countrys most beloved entertainers. Drawing on first-hand accounts from Calloways family; friends; and fellow musicians; the book traces the roots of this music icon; from his childhood in Rochester; New York; to his life of hustling on the streets of Baltimore. Shipton highlights how Calloways desire to earn money to support his infant daughter prompted his first break into show business; when he joined his sister Blanche in a traveling revue. Beginning in obscure Baltimore nightclubs and culminating in his replacement of Duke Ellington at New Yorks famed Cotton Club; Calloway honed his gifts of scat singing and call-and-response routines. His career as a bandleader was matched by his genius as a talent-spotter; evidenced by his hiring of such jazz luminaries as Ben Webster; Dizzy Gillespie; and Jonah Jones. As the swing era waned; Calloway reinvented himself as a musical theatre star; appearing as Sportin Life in "Porgy and Bess" in the early 1950s; in later years; Calloway cemented his status as a living legend through cameos on "Sesame Street" and his show-stopping appearance in the wildly popular "The Blues Brothers" movie; bringing his trademark "hi-de-ho" refrain to a new generation of audiences.More than any other source; Hi-de-ho stands as an entertaining; not-to-be-missed portrait of Cab Calloway--one that expertly frames his enduring significance as a pioneering artist and entertainer.
#2432577 in eBooks 2000-05-20 2000-05-20File Name: B0037NZ7N2
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