
Hi-de-ho
Life of Cab Calloway
Alyn Shipton(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 12. October 2010
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-19-514153-5 (ISBN)
Description
Clad in white tie and tails, dancing and scatting his way through the "Hi-de-ho" chorus of "Minnie the Moocher," Cab Calloway exuded a sly charm and sophistication that endeared him to legions of fans. In Hi-de-ho: The Life of Cab Calloway, author Alyn Shipton sheds new light on Calloway's life and career, explaining how he traversed racial and social boundaries to become one of the country's most beloved entertainers. Drawing on first-hand accounts from Calloway's family, friends, and fellow musicians, the book traces the roots of this music icon, from his childhood in Rochester, New York, to his life of hustling on the streets of Baltimore. Shipton highlights how Calloway's desire to earn money to support his infant daughter prompted his first break into show business, when he joined his sister Blanche in a traveling revue. Beginning in obscure Baltimore nightclubs and culminating in his replacement of Duke Ellington at New York's famed Cotton Club, Calloway honed his gifts of scat singing and call-and-response routines.
His career as a bandleader was matched by his genius as a talent-spotter, evidenced by his hiring of such jazz luminaries as Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jonah Jones. As the swing era waned, Calloway reinvented himself as a musical theatre star, appearing as Sportin' Life in "Porgy and Bess" in the early 1950s; in later years, Calloway cemented his status as a living legend through cameos on "Sesame Street" and his show-stopping appearance in the wildly popular "The Blues Brothers" movie, bringing his trademark "hi-de-ho" refrain to a new generation of audiences. More than any other source, Hi-de-ho stands as an entertaining, not-to-be-missed portrait of Cab Calloway-one that expertly frames his enduring significance as a pioneering artist and entertainer.
His career as a bandleader was matched by his genius as a talent-spotter, evidenced by his hiring of such jazz luminaries as Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jonah Jones. As the swing era waned, Calloway reinvented himself as a musical theatre star, appearing as Sportin' Life in "Porgy and Bess" in the early 1950s; in later years, Calloway cemented his status as a living legend through cameos on "Sesame Street" and his show-stopping appearance in the wildly popular "The Blues Brothers" movie, bringing his trademark "hi-de-ho" refrain to a new generation of audiences. More than any other source, Hi-de-ho stands as an entertaining, not-to-be-missed portrait of Cab Calloway-one that expertly frames his enduring significance as a pioneering artist and entertainer.
Reviews / Votes
Alyn Shipton's entertaining and informative biography is a match for its subject at every stage of his career. Full of first-hand accounts of Calloway's musical life from fellow musicians, vivid news reports of his stage appearances, and insights into the personal and family relations which both supported and troubled him throughout a long life, Hi-De-Ho does justice to an artist too often regarded as something of a caricature. Times Literary SupplementMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
General readers interested in jazz, big band music, Cab Calloway, American and African American music history; students and scholars of jazz , American history, popular music, musical theater, and African American studies.
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paper over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
20 halftones, 10 line illustrations
20 halftones, 10 line illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
576 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-514153-5 (9780195141535)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
03/2013
Oxford University Press Inc
€42.50
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E-Book
10/2010
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€19.99
Available for download

E-Book
09/2010
1st Edition
Oxford University Press, USA
€30.09
Available for download
Person
Alyn Shipton is the author of several award-winning books on music including A New History of Jazz and Groovin' High: The Life of Dizzy Gillespie. He is jazz critic for The Times in London and has presented jazz programs on BBC radio since 1989. He is also an accomplished double bassist and has played with many traditional and mainstream jazz bands.
Content
Introduction and acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1: 1907-1927
Chapter 2: 1927-1930
Chapter 3: 1930-1931
Chapter 4: 1931-1933
Chapter 5: 1933-1934
Chapter 6: 1934-1937
Chapter 7: 1937-1939
Chapter 8: 1939-1941
Chapter 9: 1941-1948
Chapter 10: 1949-1970
Chapter 11: 1971-1994
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1: 1907-1927
Chapter 2: 1927-1930
Chapter 3: 1930-1931
Chapter 4: 1931-1933
Chapter 5: 1933-1934
Chapter 6: 1934-1937
Chapter 7: 1937-1939
Chapter 8: 1939-1941
Chapter 9: 1941-1948
Chapter 10: 1949-1970
Chapter 11: 1971-1994
Notes
Bibliography
Index