"Tuxedo Junction".

OK, girls and boys, back to the 30s: Erskine Hawkins co-wrote the music for this 1939 "jive" classic with Bill Johnson and Julian Dash. Buddy Feyne added lyrics later on at Hawkins' request. First recorded that same year by Hawkins' orchestra, it peaked at #7. Glenn Miller's version topped the charts shortly thereafter. Dedicated to a jazz/blues club where Ensley Ave. meets 19th St. in West Birmingham, AL - a haven for "race music" in the heart of the "Chitlin' Circuit". It became Manhattan Transfer's theme song in '75. Tune? Answer: "Tuxedo Junction". The "Chitlin' Circuit" was a network "of nightclubs and theaters that featured African-American performers and catered especially to African-American audiences. When Jim Crow and segregation were even more prominent in the United States, the (Black) race, freed through emancipation, did not have equal access to public 'White Only' places. The Chitlin’ Circuit - a connected string of music venues, diners, juke joints, and theaters throughout the eastern and southern United States that catered primarily to African American audiences was created. The Chitlin’ Circuit was the only option for touring Black entertainers...". We had the privilege of seeing Manhattan Transfer in Des Moines in the 80s with their original lineup - a memorable concert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6a-7f6Pxqg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZJ5ecPHgQ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwL9xf3YQ-4

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