 "On December 23, 1938, 'From Spirituals To Swing' was presented to a sold-out house... Its success prompted another concert on Christmas Eve of 1939..."

"The musical significance of the two 'From Spirituals To Swing' concerts is difficult to deny.Equally important, however, were the social and political implications.The racial impact cannot be overlooked as African-American artists were being presented to an integrated audience at Carnegie Hall at a time when such an occurrence was, if not unheard of, extremely rare.