Perhaps no other musical style has exerted a greater influence on the culture of the first half of the 20th century than Jazz. This utterly American music travelled to every corner of the globe: from Shanghai to St. Petersburg; from New Orleans to New Dehli, from Harlem to well... Haarlem. While classical composers embraced the rhythmic vitality and melodic freedom of their own compositions, others sought to legitimize Jazz in the concert hall including: Debussy, Stravinsky, Hindemith and Shostakovich and of course Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.
