The infamous song “Take the A Train.” A favorite among jazz musicians and jazz lovers alike. Written by Billy Strayhorn in 1939, Take the A Train is one of the most famous jazz standards today. It’s a great tune with chord changes that can build a delightful solo as many have, many times.
The history behind the beloved song started way back when Duke Ellington hired Billy Strayhorn to write a completely new songbook for the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Having Strayhorn come to New York City from Pittsburgh, Ellington gave directions on how to get to Sugar Hill in West Harlem via the subway. Obviously, Strayhorn was instructed to take the A train and this sparked the idea for the title and lyrics to the composition. The piece was inspired by the style of Fletcher Henderson, specifically the song “Exactly Like You.” Although Strayhorn wrote the original lyrics to A Train, the lyrics used today were written by Joya Sherrill, a singer from Detroit that sang with the Ellington band in 1944.
Duke Ellington lived on 157th street and Saint Nicholas Avenue. The neighborhood today is known as Hamilton Heights, and the “Historic Sugar Hill District” ranges from 145th street to 155th, so technically, Duke lived slightly above Sugar Hill. Actually, even though there are technically no fixed boundaries of where Harlem ends, Washington Heights does start at 155. So really, Duke Ellington didn’t even live in Harlem. The whole tune is a lie. But still, back to the real Harlem- the Sugar Hill area where I live- was the absolute place to be for jazz clubs and for jazz musicians to hang out. It was the biggest jazz hot spot during the Harlem Renaissance and well after the bebop era. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Ellington were just a few of the bebop musicians that hit up the neighborhood and the most popular jazz clubs at the time. This included Minton’s Playhouse, Showman’s, Clark Monroe’s, the Alhambra Ballroom, the Sugar Cane Club and Small’s Paradise (not to be confused with Smalls in Greenwich Village). A lot of these guys did actually live in Harlem, including Miles. Let’s all remember Duke did not.
One can still feel the history here. Even though Harlem has slightly changed, cleaned up and gentrified throughout the years, the vibe of dark, smokey rooms, lonely hearts eternally seeking theoretical wisdom, American oppression, nighttime excitement, fiery romances, pangs and drains of drug addiction, and rich black history lurks within the streets. I have wandered all around here at all hours, joy of jazz filling my heart as I breathe in the same air as my heroes. As I look around, I can feel the same yearning, the same music, the same passion. It keeps Harlem forever alive.
2020 is quite different from 1939, and New York City itself is quite an example of the difference. Things here change rapidly, but sadly, the trains are severely outdated. It is written about constantly in the news how we have repeated issues with our MTA, and it is a huge problem among all NYC residents as it is our main source of daily transportation. The delays are the worst, so there really is no quickest way to Harlem. New York is the city that never sleeps due to the fact that after 11 pm, you are most likely waiting forever for your train to arrive to take you back home where you long to go to bed. The A Train may have been relatively new in the 30s and 40s, but since then, it is one of the oldest subway lines- the B and C lines are the local stop lines, and the D is the other express line that extends into the east side of the Bronx. Today, the quickest way to Duke Ellington’s apartment a few blocks north of Sugar Hill in Harlem would actually be to take the A train, then transfer to C train and get off at 155th street. But really, if you take the A, B, C or D train, you’ll get to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem.
If you are completely confused, don’t worry. You are absolutely not alone. The NYC subway system is known to be very confusing to all visitors, and even the residents sometimes have to ask directions from others for the most efficient route to their goal destination.
For you nerds out there, I’m sure you already know that Take the A Train is a 32 bar AABA format, originally recorded by Ellington in the key of C Major. It has a ii V I in the A section, and the bridge starts on the IV.
This tune has been recorded infinite times by so many people. Thousands of times. Like I said, it’s one of today’s most popular jazz standards. The most notable recordings include Duke Ellington Orchestra, since it was the band’s signature song in the 40’s, and has Duke’s signature solo piano lick at the intro. A lovely vocalist recording is on Ella Fitzgerald’s album, “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook” (recorded with the Duke Ellington Orchestra), and then there are my personal favorites- the Delta Rhythm Boys, who composed their own lyrics and recorded one of the first versions in 1941, and on “Echoes of an Era,” Chaka Khan’s album released in 1982. This album has a mighty jazz A-Team playing A Train- The lineup on the record is Chaka Khan, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White. I highly recommend listening to all of these, as well as any version you can find. The only way to find inspiration and your own favorite version is to keep digging and listening to it all.
This tune will always be a favorite of mine. For the simplicity in its message, for the roots it has to a landmark in jazz history, for what Billy Strayhorn has contributed to jazz, and for the love I have for Sugar Hill in Harlem- where Duke Ellington did not live.
And seriously, don’t miss the A train.
It will be about 10 to 12 minutes for the next one to come.