Harvey G. Cohen

Harvey G. Cohen is a cultural historian whose work connects American music, politics, media, and public life. Duke Ellington’s America examines Ellington not only as a composer and bandleader but also as a figure shaped by civil rights, the music business, religion, and American cultural diplomacy. Its 2010 edition came from the University of Chicago Press. Cohen drew on the Ellington papers at the Smithsonian Institution, archival material, and interviews with musicians, relatives, and associates. His approach places individual recordings and performances within the institutions that circulated them. Cohen has taught cultural and creative industries at King's College London, where his research includes popular music, film, publishing, and museums. Duke Ellington’s America reflects that wider historical interest by treating a musical career broadly as part of social and political history.