Duke Ellington makes his first appearance on film (together with his jazz band, the Duke Ellington Orchestra) in this musical short film, in which he plays a down on his luck musician. After his piano is almost repossessed, Ellington must accept the help offered by his wife, a famous dancer with a heart condition (played by Fredi Washington). Set during the Harlem Renaissance, Black and Tan was one of the first works to celebrate African American jazz and culture on film.