Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands, Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Doc Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Chu Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.
Calloway was born to a middle-class family in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918. He later lived in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Cabell Calloway II, was a lawyer, and his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist. His parents recognised their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922. He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and vocal teachers' disapproval of jazz, Calloway began frequenting and eventually performing in many of Baltimore's jazz clubs, where he was mentored by drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones.
After graduating from high school, Calloway joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself went on to become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and he often credited his inspiration to enter show business to her). Calloway attended Lincoln University, Pennsylvania , and left in 1930 without graduating.
When the tour ended in Chicago in the autumn, Cab decided to remain in Chicago with his sister, who had an established career as a jazz singer in that city. His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College. His main interest, however, was in singing and entertaining, and he spent most of his nights at the Dreamland Cafe, the Sunset Cafe, and the Club Berlin, performing as a drummer, singer, and emcee. At the Sunset Cafe he met and performed with Louis Armstrong who taught him to sing in the scat style.
The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring. Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the co-house band with Ellington's, and he and his group began touring nationwide when not playing at the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre. As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network colour barrier.
Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest.
In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, together with "St James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain respectively. Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well. Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man". He also performed in a series of short films for Paramount in the 1930s (Calloway and Ellington were featured on film more than any other Jazz Orchestra of the era). In 1943 he appeared in the high-profile 20th Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather.
In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilised both his acting and singing talents. In 1952, he played the prominent role of Sportin' Life in a production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Another notable role was Yeller in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). In 1967 Calloway co-starred as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black revival of Hello, Dolly! (even though the original production was still running) starring Pearl Bailey. This was a major success, and led to a cast recording released by RCA. In 1973-1974 he was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Pajama Game.
Calloway attracted renewed interest in 1980 when he appeared as a supporting character in the film The Blues Brothers, performing "Minnie the Moocher", and again when he sang "The Jumpin' Jive" with the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street. This was also the year in which the cult film Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan.
On 18th November 1994 Calloway died, having suffered a major stroke six months earlier. In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C. "CB" Calloway Brooks) was formed to honour Cab Calloway's legacy nationally and internationally.
Harlem Hospitality
Cab Calloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the one and only place to travel to;
Music in the air,
Dancing everywhere,
That's Harlem hospitality!
When you hear a welcome to your song,
You'll keep shoutin' hallelujah all night long;
When you get the best
Of Harlem hospitality!
It's a waste of life until you hear a song and love it,
You just, "Yeah, man!"
It's a taste of life to shim-sham-shimmy with the "Black and Tan."
You don't need to eat an apple every day,
Hi-de-ho will keep the doctor far away,
You can't get ill
When you get the thrill
Of Harlem hospitality!
The lyrics of Cab Calloway's Harlem Hospitality are a tribute to the famous Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York City, which was the center of African-American culture during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. The song celebrates the lively and welcoming atmosphere of the area, where music is ever-present, and dancing seems to be in the air. Cab Calloway, who was a popular jazz singer and bandleader, is inviting the listeners to join him in experiencing the vibrant energy of the Harlem nightlife.
In the first stanza, the singer declares Lenox Avenue as the only place worth traveling to, emphasizing the significance of the area in African-American culture. The second stanza further gives an invitation to experience the lively ambiance of Harlem. Cab Calloway promises the listeners that once they hear their favorite tunes, they won't be able to resist dancing all night long. The third stanza shows how music and dance are essential elements of the Harlem culture. The audiences don't need an apple a day to keep the doctor away because dancing to the beat of Harlem is enough to keep them healthy and happy.
Overall, Harlem Hospitality celebrates the sense of community and the entertainment that African-Americans created in Harlem during the early 20th century. The song speaks of the importance of music and dance in bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the one and only Lennox Avenue,
There's only one place you need to go, and that's Lennox Avenue in Harlem.
That's the one and only place to travel to;
There's no other place like it, that's where you should go.
Music in the air,
You can hear the music everywhere you go.
Dancing everywhere,
People are dancing all around.
That's Harlem hospitality!
This is what it means to experience the hospitality of Harlem.
When you hear a welcome to your song,
When you hear a song that speaks to you,
You'll keep shoutin' hallelujah all night long;
You'll sing and dance in celebration all night long.
You never rest
You don't take a break,
When you get the best
When you experience the best,
Of Harlem hospitality!
This is truly what it means to experience hospitality in Harlem.
It's a waste of life until you hear a song and love it,
Life is meaningless until you hear a song you love.
You just, "Yeah, man!"
That feeling of pure joy when you hear a song you love.
It's a taste of life to shim-sham-shimmy with the "Black and Tan."
The happiness and excitement of dancing to the music at the Black and Tan club.
You don't need to eat an apple every day,
You don't need to do anything else to stay healthy,
Hi-de-ho will keep the doctor far away,
As long as you're experiencing the joy of Harlem hospitality, you'll stay healthy.
You can't get ill
You won't get sick,
When you get the thrill
As long as you keep experiencing the excitement,
Of Harlem hospitality!
You'll be fine as long as you're in the midst of the hospitality of Harlem.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: J VAN HEUSEN ARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind