take the a train context

Omnibus

A large carriage with bench seating pulled by horses

Omnibus history

Paris in 1828

London in 1829

NY in 1831

First successful underground railroad route

Metropolitan railway in London on January 10, 1863

How many passengers a day did the Metropolitan railway carry in its first 6 months?

26,500 passengers

When did New York build elevated trains

1870s

Which city did not want to block historical sights, causing it to not build railways above ground?

Boston

When was the first US underground railway opened?

September 1897

How many passengers could the first US underground railway carry?

285

When did New York open its subway system?

October 27, 1904

How many stations does New York have now?

472

Example of an underground train service in London

King's Cross Station

Inspiration of "Take the 'A' Train" according to Billy Strayhorn

Directions for how to get to harlem

What encouraged greater literacy?

Printing press

When was the industrial revolution?

Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

Until when could you have purchased sheet music with being able to use it for whatever you wanted?

Early twentieth century

ASCAP

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers

When was ASCAP formed?

1914

Who ruled in ASCAP's favor for regulation in music ownership in the US Supreme Court?

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

When was ASCAP's favor for regulation in music ownership in the US Supreme Court ruled?

January 22, 1917

Who was Duke Ellington's arranger?

Billy Strayhorn

Who first opposed ASCAP's new license terms?

National Asssociation of Broadcasters (NAB)

When did ASCAP introduce new license terms?

1940

What music would the NAB only broadcast against ASCAP?

Music in the public domain, or music written for radio

What agency was established in opposing ASCAP?

Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI)

Where was the "Duke Ellington Orchestra" performing?

Casa Mañana in Culver City, California

When was the "Duke Ellington Orchestra" performing?

January 3, 1941

What was the problem with the "Duke Ellington Orchestra" performing?

Couldn't play ASCAP tunes

Who helped fixed the "Duke Ellington Orchestra" problem?

Mercer Ellington (son of Duke), Billy strayhorn

Why did Strayhorn garbage "A Train"?

Believed it sounded too much like Fletcher Henderson due to sectional writing

When did Duke Ellington begin recording non-ASCAP songs?

January 15

Under what label did Duke Ellington's band record non-ASCAP songs? When?

Victor, February 15, 1941

What piece was the "theme song" before "A Train" in Duke Ellington's ensemble?

East St. Louis Toodel-oo (1926)

How long did "Take the 'A' Train" stay on the Billboard charts?

7 weeks