Big Joe Turner: The life of a blues shouter
Big Joe Turner, known as "The Boss of the Blues," was a towering figure in American music. Born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. on May 18, 1911, in Kansas City, Missouri, Turner’s robust voice and dynamic performances left an indelible mark on the blues genre and paved the way for rock and roll. His career spanned over six decades, during which he became a pivotal link between the traditional blues of the early 20th century and the burgeoning rock and roll movement of the 1950s.
Early life and influences
Turner’s early life was steeped in the rich musical culture of Kansas City, a hotbed for jazz and blues in the early 20th century. Tragically, his father died when Turner was just four years old, forcing him to leave school at age fourteen to help support his family. He found work in the city's nightclubs, initially as a cook and later as a bartender and bouncer at the legendary Sunset Club. It was here that Turner’s musical journey truly began.
The vibrant nightlife of Kansas City exposed Turner to a plethora of musical styles and prominent musicians. He often worked with pianist Pete Johnson, with whom he formed a successful partnership. Turner’s powerful voice and Johnson’s boogie-woogie piano created an electrifying combination that captivated audiences. This collaboration would later prove crucial in propelling Turner to national fame.
Rise to fame
Turner’s big break came in 1938 when record producer John Hammond invited him and Johnson to perform at the historic From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This performance introduced Turner to a wider audience and cemented his reputation as a premier blues shouter. His commanding voice, capable of delivering both raw power and nuanced emotion, stood out in a sea of talented performers.
Following the concert, Turner and Johnson recorded several tracks, including the seminal “Roll ‘Em Pete.” This song, with its driving rhythm and Turner's exuberant vocals, is often cited as one of the precursors to rock and roll. Turner's ability to project his voice without a microphone in noisy club environments earned him the nickname "Big Joe Turner" and showcased his unique talent.
Career highlights
Throughout the 1940s, Turner continued to build his career, performing in clubs and recording with various labels. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1940s, where he became a regular performer on Central Avenue, a hub for African-American music and culture. His recordings during this period, including “Cherry Red” and “Wee Baby Blues,” further established his reputation as a leading blues singer.
The 1950s marked a significant turning point in Turner’s career. He signed with Atlantic Records, a label known for its roster of rhythm and blues artists. Under the guidance of producers Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, Turner recorded a series of hits that brought him mainstream success. Songs like “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” “Flip, Flop and Fly,” and “Honey Hush” showcased Turner’s ability to blend blues with the emerging rock and roll sound. These tracks not only topped the R&B charts but also crossed over to the pop charts, introducing Turner to a new generation of listeners.
“Shake, Rattle and Roll,” in particular, became an anthem of the rock and roll era. Its infectious rhythm and Turner's commanding vocals made it a favorite among both black and white audiences. The song was later covered by Bill Haley and His Comets, further cementing its place in rock and roll history.
Legacy and influence
Turner passed away in California at the age of 74 on November 24, 1985. His influence on rock and roll cannot be overstated. His ability to infuse traditional blues with a contemporary edge laid the groundwork for future rock and roll artists. Elvis Presley, among others, cited Turner as a significant influence on his own music. Turner’s booming voice and energetic performances helped to break down racial barriers in the music industry, bringing black music to a wider audience.
In addition to his contributions to rock and roll, Turner remained a dedicated blues artist throughout his life. He continued to record and perform well into the 1970s and 1980s, often returning to his blues roots. His later work, including albums like The Boss of the Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz and Turns on the Blues, received critical acclaim and reinforced his status as a blues legend. Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, a testament to his role in shaping the genre.
Conclusion
Big Joe Turner's life and career are a testament to the enduring power of the blues. His ability to bridge the gap between traditional blues and rock and roll helped to shape the course of American music. Turner’s legacy lives on through his recordings and the countless artists he influenced. As “The Boss of the Blues,” Big Joe Turner’s voice continues to resonate, reminding us of the rich cultural heritage of the blues and its profound impact on the evolution of modern music.
Showing posts with label Jazz music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jazz music. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes: A full biography
Langston Hughes stands as one of the most influential literary voices of the twentieth century. His work shaped the Harlem Renaissance, expanded the possibilities of African American art, and helped define the cultural and political identity of Black America. He gave everyday people a voice and turned their stories into art that still feels alive today.
Early life
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His early years were marked by instability. His father, James Nathaniel Hughes, left the United States for Mexico due to the racial prejudice he faced while trying to build a professional career. His mother, Carrie Langston Hughes, often struggled to find steady work and moved from place to place. Because of this, Langston spent much of his childhood with his grandmother, Mary Patterson Langston, in Lawrence, Kansas.
His grandmother had been married to a prominent abolitionist and held fast to the ideals of justice, activism, and self respect. Her stories of struggle and resolve shaped Langston’s sense of history and helped him understand that words could carry hard truths with clarity and purpose.
After her death, Langston rejoined his mother in Lincoln, Illinois, and later moved with her to Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland’s diverse environment nurtured his early creative life. As a teenager he began writing poetry in earnest. He discovered the work of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman and found in their direct, rhythmic styles a model for his own voice.
Education and the famous train ride
After high school, Hughes spent a year in Mexico with his father. Their relationship was tense, partly because his father wanted him to study engineering rather than pursue literature. During a train ride on this trip, Hughes wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” a poem that connected the depth of Black history to the flow of ancient rivers. The poem would become one of his most celebrated works.
In 1921 he enrolled at Columbia University in New York City. Columbia felt restrictive to him, but Harlem felt like home. The neighborhood’s clubs, streets, and social networks introduced him to the people and culture that became the heart of his writing. He left Columbia after a year, but he had already found his artistic community.
Life at sea and early breakthroughs
Hughes worked a series of jobs after leaving Columbia, including time as a seaman on ships that traveled to West Africa and Europe. The voyages broadened his view of Black identity and helped him see the struggles of African Americans in a larger global context.
He returned to the United States in 1924 and settled in Washington, D.C., where he supported himself with service jobs while writing in every spare moment. In 1925 he won a literary contest sponsored by Opportunity magazine for his poem “The Weary Blues.” The poem’s musical voice and emotional clarity caught the attention of writer Carl Van Vechten, who helped Hughes secure a book contract. His first collection, The Weary Blues (1926), introduced him as a bold new voice who wrote with honesty, rhythm, and an unwavering focus on real life.
Leader of the Harlem Renaissance
By the late 1920s Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He published poetry, plays, essays, and fiction in major African American magazines. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1929 and continued building a national reputation through lectures, performances, and community work.
Hughes stood out because he wrote about the full range of Black experience. He did not filter his subjects to satisfy outside expectations. He wrote about joy, pride, humor, frustration, hope, and hardship. His work demonstrated that literature could honor ordinary people without diminishing their complexity.
Political sympathies, shifting views, and humanism
The 1930s brought economic collapse and political upheaval. During this period Hughes showed sympathy toward Communism, largely because leftist groups appeared more willing than mainstream institutions to address the realities facing Black workers. In 1932 he traveled to the Soviet Union as part of a planned film project about African American life. Though the film was abandoned, the trip sharpened his sense that racial injustice was part of a wider global pattern.
Hughes never joined the Communist Party. His interest in Marxist ideas came from experience rather than doctrine. He believed any movement that claimed to support workers needed to confront the specific conditions faced by Black workers. Some of his early work appeared in leftist publications, which made the association more visible than he intended.
As reports of repression in the Soviet Union circulated and as American Communists struggled with racial issues, Hughes began to distance himself. By the late 1930s he had already stepped away from Communist circles. During the Cold War he was called before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In his 1953 testimony, he made clear that he no longer supported the Communist Party and that his earlier interest had faded long before the hearing. The experience strengthened his belief that strict ideology limits a writer’s freedom.
At his core, Hughes was guided by humanism. He believed in dignity, fairness, and the value of everyday life. He focused on the experiences that people shared and on the ways culture, humor, and community could create solidarity. His writing suggests that he did not hold a conventional belief in God. Although he came from a family with strong religious traditions, his adult worldview centered on people rather than divine authority. Works such as “Goodbye Christ” and other statements throughout his career show skepticism toward organized faith. His focus stayed on human potential, human responsibility, and the need for justice built by human hands.
Prose, plays, and the character of Simple
In the 1930s and 1940s Hughes expanded into fiction, journalism, drama, and satire. His collection The Ways of White Folks (1934) examined race relations with sharp insight. He produced plays for audiences across the country and wrote political commentary for newspapers.
In 1942 he introduced Jesse B. Semple, or “Simple,” in a newspaper column. Simple’s voice was witty, grounded, and unsentimental. Through Simple, Hughes cut through political confusion and spoke plainly about race, class, and American contradictions. The Simple stories became some of his most popular and accessible work.
Poetry of the people
Hughes believed poetry should serve broad audiences. He read in classrooms, churches, and labor halls. He collaborated with musicians and welcomed young readers into his world through children’s books. His collection Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951) captured the fast pace of postwar Harlem and raised a question that echoed throughout the civil rights era: What happens to a dream that cannot find room to grow?
Later years and legacy
Hughes remained active through the 1960s. He wrote, taught, traveled, and supported younger writers. His Harlem home became a meeting place for artists seeking guidance. He influenced poets, playwrights, musicians, and activists who carried his ideas into new movements.
Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, after complications from abdominal surgery. His body of work is vast. It includes poetry, drama, fiction, autobiography, essays, children’s literature, and translations. He transformed American literature by insisting that the lives of ordinary Black people were worthy of art. He worked with clarity and conviction, believing that honest stories could help build a fairer world.
Hughes left behind a legacy defined by courage, insight, and human connection. His voice remains one of the clearest and most enduring in American letters. If his work teaches anything, it is that truth, spoken plainly, can shape a culture and open doors that had long been shut.
Langston Hughes stands as one of the most influential literary voices of the twentieth century. His work shaped the Harlem Renaissance, expanded the possibilities of African American art, and helped define the cultural and political identity of Black America. He gave everyday people a voice and turned their stories into art that still feels alive today.
Early life
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His early years were marked by instability. His father, James Nathaniel Hughes, left the United States for Mexico due to the racial prejudice he faced while trying to build a professional career. His mother, Carrie Langston Hughes, often struggled to find steady work and moved from place to place. Because of this, Langston spent much of his childhood with his grandmother, Mary Patterson Langston, in Lawrence, Kansas.
His grandmother had been married to a prominent abolitionist and held fast to the ideals of justice, activism, and self respect. Her stories of struggle and resolve shaped Langston’s sense of history and helped him understand that words could carry hard truths with clarity and purpose.
After her death, Langston rejoined his mother in Lincoln, Illinois, and later moved with her to Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland’s diverse environment nurtured his early creative life. As a teenager he began writing poetry in earnest. He discovered the work of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman and found in their direct, rhythmic styles a model for his own voice.
Education and the famous train ride
After high school, Hughes spent a year in Mexico with his father. Their relationship was tense, partly because his father wanted him to study engineering rather than pursue literature. During a train ride on this trip, Hughes wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” a poem that connected the depth of Black history to the flow of ancient rivers. The poem would become one of his most celebrated works.
In 1921 he enrolled at Columbia University in New York City. Columbia felt restrictive to him, but Harlem felt like home. The neighborhood’s clubs, streets, and social networks introduced him to the people and culture that became the heart of his writing. He left Columbia after a year, but he had already found his artistic community.
Life at sea and early breakthroughs
Hughes worked a series of jobs after leaving Columbia, including time as a seaman on ships that traveled to West Africa and Europe. The voyages broadened his view of Black identity and helped him see the struggles of African Americans in a larger global context.
He returned to the United States in 1924 and settled in Washington, D.C., where he supported himself with service jobs while writing in every spare moment. In 1925 he won a literary contest sponsored by Opportunity magazine for his poem “The Weary Blues.” The poem’s musical voice and emotional clarity caught the attention of writer Carl Van Vechten, who helped Hughes secure a book contract. His first collection, The Weary Blues (1926), introduced him as a bold new voice who wrote with honesty, rhythm, and an unwavering focus on real life.
Leader of the Harlem Renaissance
By the late 1920s Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He published poetry, plays, essays, and fiction in major African American magazines. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1929 and continued building a national reputation through lectures, performances, and community work.
Hughes stood out because he wrote about the full range of Black experience. He did not filter his subjects to satisfy outside expectations. He wrote about joy, pride, humor, frustration, hope, and hardship. His work demonstrated that literature could honor ordinary people without diminishing their complexity.
Political sympathies, shifting views, and humanism
The 1930s brought economic collapse and political upheaval. During this period Hughes showed sympathy toward Communism, largely because leftist groups appeared more willing than mainstream institutions to address the realities facing Black workers. In 1932 he traveled to the Soviet Union as part of a planned film project about African American life. Though the film was abandoned, the trip sharpened his sense that racial injustice was part of a wider global pattern.
Hughes never joined the Communist Party. His interest in Marxist ideas came from experience rather than doctrine. He believed any movement that claimed to support workers needed to confront the specific conditions faced by Black workers. Some of his early work appeared in leftist publications, which made the association more visible than he intended.
As reports of repression in the Soviet Union circulated and as American Communists struggled with racial issues, Hughes began to distance himself. By the late 1930s he had already stepped away from Communist circles. During the Cold War he was called before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In his 1953 testimony, he made clear that he no longer supported the Communist Party and that his earlier interest had faded long before the hearing. The experience strengthened his belief that strict ideology limits a writer’s freedom.
At his core, Hughes was guided by humanism. He believed in dignity, fairness, and the value of everyday life. He focused on the experiences that people shared and on the ways culture, humor, and community could create solidarity. His writing suggests that he did not hold a conventional belief in God. Although he came from a family with strong religious traditions, his adult worldview centered on people rather than divine authority. Works such as “Goodbye Christ” and other statements throughout his career show skepticism toward organized faith. His focus stayed on human potential, human responsibility, and the need for justice built by human hands.
Prose, plays, and the character of Simple
In the 1930s and 1940s Hughes expanded into fiction, journalism, drama, and satire. His collection The Ways of White Folks (1934) examined race relations with sharp insight. He produced plays for audiences across the country and wrote political commentary for newspapers.
In 1942 he introduced Jesse B. Semple, or “Simple,” in a newspaper column. Simple’s voice was witty, grounded, and unsentimental. Through Simple, Hughes cut through political confusion and spoke plainly about race, class, and American contradictions. The Simple stories became some of his most popular and accessible work.
Poetry of the people
Hughes believed poetry should serve broad audiences. He read in classrooms, churches, and labor halls. He collaborated with musicians and welcomed young readers into his world through children’s books. His collection Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951) captured the fast pace of postwar Harlem and raised a question that echoed throughout the civil rights era: What happens to a dream that cannot find room to grow?
Later years and legacy
Hughes remained active through the 1960s. He wrote, taught, traveled, and supported younger writers. His Harlem home became a meeting place for artists seeking guidance. He influenced poets, playwrights, musicians, and activists who carried his ideas into new movements.
Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, after complications from abdominal surgery. His body of work is vast. It includes poetry, drama, fiction, autobiography, essays, children’s literature, and translations. He transformed American literature by insisting that the lives of ordinary Black people were worthy of art. He worked with clarity and conviction, believing that honest stories could help build a fairer world.
Hughes left behind a legacy defined by courage, insight, and human connection. His voice remains one of the clearest and most enduring in American letters. If his work teaches anything, it is that truth, spoken plainly, can shape a culture and open doors that had long been shut.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington: Life, times, and major works
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was more than a jazz musician. He was a towering figure in 20th-century music, a cultural ambassador, and a relentless innovator whose compositions reshaped the boundaries of jazz, blues, classical, and popular music. Over a career that spanned more than five decades, Ellington not only composed thousands of pieces, but also redefined the role of the bandleader, treating his orchestra as a palette and his musicians as co-creators. His life and legacy are inseparable from the evolution of American music.
Early life and influences
Born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., Ellington grew up in a middle-class African-American family that valued culture, education, and refinement. His parents, James and Daisy Ellington, were both pianists. His mother, in particular, encouraged him to pursue elegance in everything he did, even nicknaming him “Duke” for his noble demeanor.
Ellington began piano lessons at age seven, but he wasn’t immediately drawn to music. That changed as a teenager, when he encountered ragtime and jazz in Washington's dance halls and poolrooms. Pianists like James P. Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith introduced him to stride piano, a style that would later inform his complex harmonic language.
Rise to prominence
Ellington moved to New York City in the early 1920s, during the Harlem Renaissance. He formed his band, the Washingtonians, which found steady work in clubs like the Kentucky Club. His big break came in 1927, when his group became the house band at the Cotton Club, a whites-only Harlem nightclub that showcased Black performers. This residency was crucial. It gave Ellington regular radio exposure and a platform to experiment with orchestration.
It was during this time that Ellington developed his signature style — rich textures, moody harmonies, and the use of "jungle" sounds (growling brass, exotic rhythms) to evoke atmosphere. Unlike many bandleaders, Ellington wrote with his musicians in mind, exploiting the unique timbres of players like Bubber Miley (muted trumpet), Harry Carney (baritone sax), and Johnny Hodges (alto sax).
Musical innovation and signature works
Ellington was both prolific and adventurous. He composed over 3,000 songs and instrumental pieces, ranging from short swing tunes to extended suites. His music spanned genres, often incorporating elements of blues, gospel, classical, and world music.
Key works include:
Leadership and legacy
Ellington ran his orchestra like a family, often retaining players for decades. He created a collaborative environment where musicians felt valued, often crediting co-composers like Billy Strayhorn, his closest musical partner. Strayhorn composed classics like “Take the ‘A’ Train,” which became the band’s signature tune.
Ellington’s leadership extended beyond music. During a time of intense racial segregation, he projected a powerful image of Black excellence and sophistication. He refused to perform in segregated venues when possible, and he used his visibility to quietly challenge racism through dignity and brilliance.
Even as big band jazz declined in popularity in the 1950s, Ellington adapted. His performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival - featuring an explosive solo by tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves - reignited his career. From there, he toured extensively, composed film scores, and continued writing ambitious suites, including sacred concerts that blended jazz with choral and liturgical music.
Death and enduring influence
Ellington died on May 24, 1974, at the age of 75. He was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, a recognition many felt was long overdue. His influence endures in the work of composers from Charles Mingus to Wynton Marsalis, and in orchestras and educational programs around the world.
More than just a composer, Ellington redefined what it meant to be a jazz artist. He saw himself as “beyond category,” a label he embraced and lived by. His music was deeply personal yet universally resonant, grounded in African-American tradition yet always pushing forward.
Conclusion
Duke Ellington’s life was a blend of innovation, elegance, and relentless creativity. He transformed the big band into a vehicle for serious composition, elevated jazz into an art form of global stature, and left a legacy that continues to inspire. He didn’t just play jazz. He reshaped American music - and culture - on his own terms.
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was more than a jazz musician. He was a towering figure in 20th-century music, a cultural ambassador, and a relentless innovator whose compositions reshaped the boundaries of jazz, blues, classical, and popular music. Over a career that spanned more than five decades, Ellington not only composed thousands of pieces, but also redefined the role of the bandleader, treating his orchestra as a palette and his musicians as co-creators. His life and legacy are inseparable from the evolution of American music.
Early life and influences
Born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., Ellington grew up in a middle-class African-American family that valued culture, education, and refinement. His parents, James and Daisy Ellington, were both pianists. His mother, in particular, encouraged him to pursue elegance in everything he did, even nicknaming him “Duke” for his noble demeanor.
Ellington began piano lessons at age seven, but he wasn’t immediately drawn to music. That changed as a teenager, when he encountered ragtime and jazz in Washington's dance halls and poolrooms. Pianists like James P. Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith introduced him to stride piano, a style that would later inform his complex harmonic language.
Rise to prominence
Ellington moved to New York City in the early 1920s, during the Harlem Renaissance. He formed his band, the Washingtonians, which found steady work in clubs like the Kentucky Club. His big break came in 1927, when his group became the house band at the Cotton Club, a whites-only Harlem nightclub that showcased Black performers. This residency was crucial. It gave Ellington regular radio exposure and a platform to experiment with orchestration.
It was during this time that Ellington developed his signature style — rich textures, moody harmonies, and the use of "jungle" sounds (growling brass, exotic rhythms) to evoke atmosphere. Unlike many bandleaders, Ellington wrote with his musicians in mind, exploiting the unique timbres of players like Bubber Miley (muted trumpet), Harry Carney (baritone sax), and Johnny Hodges (alto sax).
Musical innovation and signature works
Ellington was both prolific and adventurous. He composed over 3,000 songs and instrumental pieces, ranging from short swing tunes to extended suites. His music spanned genres, often incorporating elements of blues, gospel, classical, and world music.
Key works include:
- “Mood Indigo” (1930): A haunting ballad with unusual voicing - muted trumpet, unmuted trombone, and low clarinet - creating a rich, melancholic atmosphere.
- “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (1931): This became a defining anthem of the swing era and helped popularize the term “swing” in music.
- “Sophisticated Lady” (1933): Showcased Ellington’s talent for melodic and harmonic elegance.
- “Caravan” (1936, with Juan Tizol): Infused with exotic, Middle Eastern textures, it expanded the rhythmic and tonal palette of jazz.
- “Black, Brown, and Beige” (1943): An ambitious suite premiered at Carnegie Hall, this work attempted to chronicle African-American history in musical form. It was bold, complex, and not always well-received at the time, but it demonstrated Ellington’s ambition to elevate jazz to the level of serious concert music.
- “Far East Suite” (1966): Inspired by the band’s State Department tour across the Middle East and Asia, this suite fused global musical ideas with Ellington’s jazz sensibility.
Leadership and legacy
Ellington ran his orchestra like a family, often retaining players for decades. He created a collaborative environment where musicians felt valued, often crediting co-composers like Billy Strayhorn, his closest musical partner. Strayhorn composed classics like “Take the ‘A’ Train,” which became the band’s signature tune.
Ellington’s leadership extended beyond music. During a time of intense racial segregation, he projected a powerful image of Black excellence and sophistication. He refused to perform in segregated venues when possible, and he used his visibility to quietly challenge racism through dignity and brilliance.
Even as big band jazz declined in popularity in the 1950s, Ellington adapted. His performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival - featuring an explosive solo by tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves - reignited his career. From there, he toured extensively, composed film scores, and continued writing ambitious suites, including sacred concerts that blended jazz with choral and liturgical music.
Death and enduring influence
Ellington died on May 24, 1974, at the age of 75. He was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, a recognition many felt was long overdue. His influence endures in the work of composers from Charles Mingus to Wynton Marsalis, and in orchestras and educational programs around the world.
More than just a composer, Ellington redefined what it meant to be a jazz artist. He saw himself as “beyond category,” a label he embraced and lived by. His music was deeply personal yet universally resonant, grounded in African-American tradition yet always pushing forward.
Conclusion
Duke Ellington’s life was a blend of innovation, elegance, and relentless creativity. He transformed the big band into a vehicle for serious composition, elevated jazz into an art form of global stature, and left a legacy that continues to inspire. He didn’t just play jazz. He reshaped American music - and culture - on his own terms.
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