Home » Jazz Articles » The Jazz Files » Charles Rangel: Harlem’s Congressman, Jazz’s Quiet Witness
Charles Rangel: Harlem’s Congressman, Jazz’s Quiet Witness
Courtesy Alex Wong
Harlem's been very, very good to me.
—Charles Rangel
In a remarkable interview conducted by
Loren Schoenberg
saxophoneb.1958
Christian McBride
bassb.1972
Billy Taylor
piano1921 - 2010
"Jazz is the only music that America can call its own," Rangel says. "It allowed itself to break down color lines and bring people together long before people were challenging racism."
But it's not just commentary—it's memoir. Rangel doesn't talk about Harlem's golden age, he re-inhabits it.
He recalls sitting in the same seat every time
Billie Holiday
vocals1915 - 1959
"There was no question in my mind that Billie Holiday loved me," he says with a smile. "She would look for me." Years later, he was the night clerk at the Hotel Theresa when Holiday arrived at 2 AM, asking for a room. Not recognizing her at first, he turned her away—only to realize, to his shock, who she was. That moment captures what Rangel embodies: a fan, a witness, and a keeper of the flame.
His love for the Hotel Theresa runs deep. He paints it not just as a place to stay, but as Harlem's informal cultural embassy —"Many people were in the lobby that never registered for a room. They'd ask to be paged—just to be seen."
And then there are the scenes of raw jazz drama—like when
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Jimmie Lunceford
composer / conductor1902 - 1947
"He just closed the books and played from the soul," Rangel says. "That was the power of those bands—they didn't need paper to make magic."
But perhaps the most unforgettable story involves
Lionel Hampton
vibraphone1908 - 2002
"He was on the local news in his pajamas," Rangel laughs. "I had to find him a tuxedo in one night." At the ceremony, when the band struck up Flying Home, Hampton, then well into his 80s, sprang up, grabbed mallets, and played like a man reborn. "That was a new man that night. He just never stopped."
These aren't just stories. They are testaments to resilience, joy, and the inseparability of music and place.
As The Jazz Files launches, this tribute sets the tone: a reverent look back at the voices and visuals that have shaped our jazz history—many of them, like Rangel's, recorded just in time.
Tags
Jazz Rewind: Sound & Sight Rediscovered
Hank Hehmsoth
United States
New York
Charles Rangel
Loren Schoenberg
Christian McBride
Billy Taylor
Arthur Barnes
Billie Holiday
duke ellington
Jimmy Lunceford
Lionel Hampton
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