Lenox Avenue (Still)

[1]: 249 [2]: 5  The composition is for orchestra, chorus and announcer; the narration was written by Verna Arvey, wife of composer Still.

Jazz flourished and grew on Lenox Avenue, and is thought by some to be one of the most important streets in the world for African American culture.

[3] The later ballet version was first presented by the Dance Theatre Group in Los Angeles in May 1938 with Norma Gould as the choreographer and Charles Teske as the lead dancer.

Still composed a series of pieces – actually a suite – for orchestra, piano soloist, chorus and narrator, inspired by street scenes in Harlem.

[7]Film historian Tony Thomas describes the work as "fusing drama with spiritual-like chants and jazz idioms, Lenox Avenue is pure Americana and one that had great influence.