Object Details
Artist
Carl Van Vechten, 17 Jun 1880 - 21 Dec 1964
Sitter
Cab Calloway, 25 Dec 1907 - 18 Nov 1994
Exhibition Label
Born Rochester, New York
Performing one night at Harlem’s fabled Cotton Club in the early 1930s, singer, composer, and bandleader Cab Calloway was suddenly unable to remember the lyrics to his song “Minnie the
Moocher.” To fill the void, he launched into improvisational scat, singing “hi-de-hi, hi-de-ho.” His performance soon had the audience joining in, and his raucous finale, Calloway later recalled, “nearly brought the roof down.” “Hi-de-ho” became an integral part of his identity as one of the Big Band era’s most popular and respected figures.
Much of Calloway’s success was owing to his own flamboyant style, which injected his band’s performances with a festive exuberance. Gifted at recruiting, mentoring, and holding on to good musicians, his band members included such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993), Milt Hinton (1910–2000), and Cozy Cole (1909–1981).
Nacido en Rochester, Nueva York
Cuando actuaba una noche en el legendario Cotton Club de Harlem a principios de los años treinta, el cantante, compositor y director de orquesta Cab Calloway encontró de pronto que no podía recordar la letra de su canción “Minnie the Moocher”. Para llenar el vacío, hizo un scat improvisado, cantando “hi-de-hi, hi-de-ho”. El público rápidamente se unió a la improvisación y el estrepitoso final “casi hizo que el techo se viniera abajo”. “Hi-de-ho” se volvió parte integral de la identidad de Calloway, una de las figuras más populares y respetadas de la era de las big bands.
Mucho del éxito de Calloway se debió a su estilo extravagante que insuflaba una exuberancia festiva a las presentaciones de su orquesta. Con gran talento para reclutar, entrenar y conservar buenos músicos, tuvo en su orquesta a luminarias del jazz tales como Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993), Milt Hinton (1910–2000) y Cozy Cole (1909–1981).
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Date
January 12, 1933
Object number
NPG.90.87
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Carl Van Vechten Trust
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image/Sheet: 25 × 18.1 cm (9 13/16 × 7 1/8")
Mat: 56.1 × 40.8 cm (22 1/16 × 16 1/16")
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Interior
Artwork
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Music\Musical instrument\Trombone
Music\Sheet music
Artwork\Poster
Cab Calloway: Male
Cab Calloway: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer
Cab Calloway: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician
Cab Calloway: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Songwriter
Cab Calloway: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Dance\Dancer
Cab Calloway: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer\Jazz singer
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.90.87