Duke Ellington‘s stay at the Cotton Club has become one of the enduring legends of Jazz. Movies, songs and books have celebrated the orchestra’s residency at the club which was located on the second floor of 644 Lexington at the corner of West 142nd Street in the Harlem section of New York City.

It all began late in May of 1927 when Andy Preer who had been leading the house band at the Cotton Club died. In looking for a replacement the first choice was King Oliver‘s band, but they were not offering enough money for Oliver’s taste and he turned down the job. The gig went to Duke Ellington and his men.

The Cotton Club was owned by a consortium of mobsters led by bootlegger Owney Madden. The club’s decor was modeled after the old South of plantations and slavery, hence the name The Cotton Club. The club was also segregated, only Whites were allowed in the audience, while the waiters and entertainers were all African-American, with the exception of occasional guest star appearances.

The show was a musical revue which featured dancers, singers, comedians and variety acts, as well as Duke’s band which supplied music for the floor show and singers. The Orchestra also played independently for dancing pleasure of the audience.

There were two floor shows a night at midnight and 2am. What made Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra famous were the weekly broadcasts on radio station WHN. These broadcasts were heard all over the country and gave Ellington national exposure.

The band’s first stay at the club began on December 4th, 1927 and continued until June 30th, 1930. They returned in September and October of 1930 and again in January of 1931. They were at the club in February of 1932 and in the spring of 1933 and appeared there for the last time in 1937 and 1938 in the club’s new location downtown.