The Harlem Renaissance produced some of the swingin’est, jazziest, cool cattin’est music of the 20th century. From Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, the black musicians that came out of New York in the period between 1919 and the early 1930s made a massive impact not only on jazz, but on American music in general. You’ll hear the sound of the Harlem Renaissance in Ain’t Misbehavin’, a musical revue featuring songs by Fats Waller and other composers of the time like “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “A Handful of Keys,” and of course, Fats Waller’s classic “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” But if you’re looking to immerse yourself a little deeper in the marvel that was the music of the Harlem Renaissance, here’s a playlist to get you started.
1. “God Bless the Child,”
Billie Holiday
2. “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” Duke Ellington
3. “Chicago Blues,” Jimmy Johnson and His Orchestra
4. “Riffin’ the Scotch,” Billie Holiday
5. “Bessie, Bessie, Bessie,” Fats Waller
6. “April in Paris,” Louis Armstrong
7. “I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl,” Bessie Smith
8. “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Bessie Smith
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