Hey, Charleston!: The True Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Band

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Appealing subject matter plus well-respected author should equal lots of sales and attention.

This is the story of the Jenkins Orphanage Band. The Jenkins Orphanage was established in 1891 by Rev. Daniel J. Jenkins in Charleston, South Carolina. Jenkins was a former slave turned minister who, upon stumbling across homeless youths, decided to organize an orphanage for young African American children, the first of its kind in Charleston., The orphanage took in donations of musical instruments. Not being a musician, Jenkins hired two local Charleston musicians to tutor the boys in music. Upon its establishment, the band became the only black instrumental group organized in South Carolina. The band's debut was on the streets of Charleston with the permission of the mayor, police chief, and Chamber of Commerce. The Jenkins Orphanage Band, wearing discarded uniforms from The Citadel (the local military college), performed throughout the United States and even toured England raising money for the support of the orphanage. The band played in inaugural parades of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. It
appeared at the St. Louis Exposition and the Anglo-American Exposition in 1914. It toured the USA from coast to coast and played in Paris, Berlin, Rome, London, and Vienna.

Reviews

'Hey, Charleston!... Give us some rag!' yelled the street corner crowd some 100 years ago when Reverend Daniel Joseph Jenkins, former slave and orphan himself, founded the Jenkins Orphanage Band. It all began one night in Charleston, South Carolina, when he discovered several hungry, homeless children near the railroad tracks. He fed them and let them sleep in his church. Word traveled fast and soon more orphans came knocking. The Reverend asked city officials for an empty warehouse, which they granted along with $100, but it was unexpectedly noisy--inmates at the neighboring prison banged on the windows and swore all day. Singing with the boys helped mask the unholy racket, but Jenkins thought to collect old Civil War band instruments and hire music teachers, and soon the orphans were playing 'rag' to raise money to fund the pastor's dream: a farm where they could grow their own food and be self-sufficient. The boys were descendants of the Gullah people from West Africa, brought to South Carolina as slaves. They played old band songs African style, twisting, twirling, tapping, knocking their knees, and flapping their arms. They became famous enough to play at Teddy Roosevelt's inauguration and were invited to London to perform. When war broke out in 1914, they secured tickets to return to the States in safety and even paid for other stranded Americans' safe return. Rockwell's informative text is lively and accessible, and Bootman's realistic, full-spread paintings capture the era and energy of the musicians and onlookers dancing and clapping to the beat. Use this inspiring tale for jazz units or African American History Month. --School Library Journal

A concerned pastor and a rich musical tradition come together to play an important role in the growth of jazz.

In the late 1800s, Rev. Jenkins, born a slave in South Carolina and later orphaned, came across a group of abandoned children. He established an orphanage in Charleston for these children and others like them, all African-Americans. Jenkins led them in singing to drown out the noise from a prison next door. As money was scarce, he came up with the idea of teaching the children to play marching-band music using forgotten Civil War brass instruments. Many of the children, born into the Gullah or Geechee traditions of the islands off South Carolina, enjoyed playing 'rag' music. They incorporated this rhythm into their performances and danced while playing. Success followed, with trips to New York, where enthusiastic crowds urged the band to play 'Charleston.' They performed at Theodore Roosevelt's inauguration and for King George V of England, sailing home in dangerous waters after World War I erupted. Some of the young men grew up to play with Ellington and Basie. Rockwell relates her tale in a fast-paced narrative that will hopefully encourage readers to turn into listeners. Bootman's emotive, full-bleed artwork provides a lively accompaniment.

A notable look at a little-known piece of jazz history. --Kirkus Reviews

Founded in Charleston at the turn of the century by Reverend Daniel Joseph Jenkins, a pastor and former slave determined to give homeless African-American children a better life, the Jenkins Orphanage Band created an irresistible hybrid of martial music and the 'raggedy, rattly sound' of 'rag' from Geechee/Gullah culture, and incubated the talents of men who helped shape American jazz. A trip to New York City launched a global craze for both the music and the dancing that often accompanied it--the 'twisting and twirling and tapping their toes, knocking their knees, and flapping their arms'--soon known as the Charleston. Rockwell (Truck Stop) keeps the story focused and lively, with just enough social and emotional framing (Reverend Jenkins 'was always looking for a way to turn bad into good' is a recurring refrain) to add resonance. Bootman's (Love Twelve Miles Long) sepia tones and military blues beautifully evoke a distant time, but his pictures are at their most fun when he shows how the band brought people everywhere to their feet. --Publishers Weekly

This is the little-known story of how Charleston, South Carolina, orphans formed a band and gave America 'rag' music. When Reverend Daniel Joseph Jenkins discovered orphans huddled by train tracks in the late 1800s, he took them in, understanding their lives better than most, as he had been an orphan himself. More and more orphans showed up at his church, and soon the Reverend had plenty of mouths to feed. A hundred dollars from city officials led to the purchase of a warehouse, but the prisoners next door made a racket. That's when Jenkins had an idea: collect old Civil War musical instruments, once used by marching bands, to form the Jenkins Orphanage Band and raise money to buy a farm for the orphans. Soon the band was playing on street corners; many of the kids descended from Geechee or Gullah (the islands around Charleston) and played a style of music called rag. Over the course of the picture book, which covers a lot of territory quickly, the band travels, even to Europe. A fascinating piece of history, complemented by Bootman's hazy full-bleed paintings. --Booklist

Author Bio

Anne Rockwell is an author and illustrator of more than one hundred works of fiction and nonfiction for children over a career that spans six decades. She is the author of Hey, Charleston!: The True Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Band which was a Junior Library Guild Selection and was awarded a Moonbeam Children's Book Bronze Medal. She is also the author of Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth, which won a Coretta Scott King honor for R. Gregory Christie's illustrations. She lives in Stamford, Connecticut. Visit her online at www.annerockwell.com.

"Colin Boatman was born in Trinidad where he spent the first seven years of his life. During this time, he was inspired by the island's rich and diverse culture. Mr. Boatman's first book, Young Frederick Douglass, was published in 1994 and received starred reviews. He has since illustrated many children's books, textbooks, periodicals, and book covers. Mr. Boatman has worked with several publishers including Random House (Follow the Leader), Harper Collins (In My Mamma's Kitchen), Scholastic (Oh, No, Toto!), and Holiday House (Papa's Mark). Mr. Boatman is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor 2004, the Schneider Family Book Award 2006, the Ashley Bryan Lifetime Achievement Honor 2006, and several others. His books have won such awards as The Teachers' Choice Award, The Comstock Award, The Storytelling World Award, The Golden Kite Honor, and many others. Mr. Boatman's first written and Illustrated book (Fish For The Grand Lady), debuted in the fall of 2006. He previously illustrated Carolrhoda Picture Books Almost to Freedom and The Steel Pan Man of Harlem for Lerner Publishing Group."