Composition and Premiere of 'In the Bottoms' Piano Suite
Poet involved
What happened
Robert Nathaniel Dett composed his piano suite 'In the Bottoms,' which included its most celebrated movement, 'Dance Juba.' The work was performed by pianist Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler at the Chicago Music Hall in Illinois, bringing Dett's folk-inflected concert music to wider public attention.
Literary impact
This suite became Dett's most frequently performed piano work and demonstrated how spirituals and folk dance rhythms could be elevated into serious concert repertoire. Its success by a prominent touring pianist significantly raised Dett's national profile as a composer.
Source: Wikipedia
