Owned by Moe Gale, the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors on Friday, March 12, 1926 right in the middle of Harlem, between 140th and 141st Streets on Lenox Avenue. Billed as the "World's finest ballroom," the Savoy was complete with large luxurious carpeted lounges and mirrored walls. Opening night featured the amazing Fletcher Henderson Band commanding the bandstand on its own. But over the next 32 years the Savoy would become famous for the legendary band battles or cutting contests that were staged there. The immense size of the room allowed for two bandstands and when one orchestra finished the other would immediately take over. The crowd would decide the winner in these legendary "Battle of the Bands" . The most famous of these was the battle of Chick Webb vs. Benny Goodman, when both bands were at the crest of their popularity.
|
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Savoy Ballroom opens
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment