New York City zoning laws demanded a certain amount of air space outside apartment windows to prevent the buildings from being windowless and devoid of fresh air. As a result, developers created tiny (often miniscule) courtyards between apartment buildings in strict accordance with the law. In 1940 Duke Ellington described this architectural oddity in musical terms, making the vernacular phrase known worldwide. The following is loosely excerpted from my 2002 Essentially Ellington Rehearsal Notes:
In his own inimitable fashion, Ellington told us that Harlem Airshaft is a piece of program music describing the sounds and smells of several buildings’ neighboring inhabitants wafting through the open windows into one’s apartment on a hot summer’s day. There, all jumbled up, is a mixture of fighting, joking, lovemaking, several radio stations and record players, and all kinds of savory cuisine.
This would account for the three key centers of the introduction and the diverse characters of the soupy saxophone harmonies, swinging sax unisons, sliding trombones, arpeggiated trumpet calls, ferocious trumpet, and wild clarinet.
Perfect! Except for one thing—the title came later. Originally called Once Over Lightly, this piece was then assigned a working title of Rumpus In Richmond before Ellington finallycame up with his wonderfully picturesque title and story.
Incidentally, the piece we now know as Rumpus In Richmond began its life as Brassiere. So much for taking the Maestro at face value. But, how much more fun is Harlem Airshaft when we conjure up that swinging uptown miniature courtyard?