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Duke Ellington
By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States bestowed upon him the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his 50-year career, he had played over 20,000 performances worldwide. He was The Duke, Duke Ellington.
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born into the world on April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C. Duke’s parents, Daisy Kennedy Ellington and James Edward Ellington, served as ideal role models for young Duke, and taught him everything from proper table manners to an understanding of the emotional power of music. Duke’s first piano lessons came around the age of seven or eight and appeared not to have had that much lasting effect upon him. It seemed as if young Duke was more inclined to baseball at a young age.
Duke got his first job selling peanuts at Washington Senator’s baseball games. This was the first time Duke was placed as a "performer" for a crowd and had to first get over his stage fright. At the age of 14, Duke began sneaking into Frank Holliday’s poolroom. His experiences from the poolroom taught him to appreciate the value in mixing with a wide range of people.
As Duke’s piano lessons faded into the past, Duke began to show a flare for the artistic. Duke attended Armstrong Manual Training School to study commercial art instead of going to an academics-oriented school. Duke began to seek out and listen to ragtime pianists in Washington and, during the summers, in Philadelphia or Atlantic City, where he and his mother vacationed .
While vacationing in Asbury Park, Duke heard of a hot pianist named Harvey Brooks. At the end of his vacation, Duke sought Harvey out in Philadelphia where Harvey showed Duke some pianistic tricks and shortcuts. Duke later recounted that, "When I got home I had a real yearning to play. I hadn’t been able to get off the ground before, but after hearing him I said to myself, ‘Man you’re going to have to do it.’" Thus the music career of Duke Ellington was born.
Duke was taken under the wings of Oliver "Doc" Perry and Louis Brown, who taught Duke how to read music and helped improve his overall piano playing skills. Duke found piano playing jobs at clubs and cafes throughout the Washington area. Three months shy of graduation, Duke dropped out of school and began his professional music career.
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Duke Ellington: Isfahan
![Read "Duke Ellington: Isfahan" reviewed by Ian Patterson](jpg/c8e89f1e6cb3daf67ff30be3f750b718.jpg)
by Ian Patterson
Part of Duke Ellington's Far East Suite (1967), Isfahan" took its inspiration from a visit to the city of Isfahan, Iran, in 1963. Of the ancient city Ellington wrote: everything is poetry," a sentiment transferred beautifully to this most moving of Strayhorn/Ellington compositions. Curious too, to see Ellington holding the sheet music for soloist Johnny Hodges. The same tour also took the Duke Ellington Orchestra to Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, among other stops. Will such an itinerary ever ...
read moreDuke Ellington's Top Ten Albums
![Read "Duke Ellington's Top Ten Albums" reviewed by DIG 9000](jpg/0781bccd547dd390f53330e69b2264e9.jpg)
by DIG 9000
Duke Ellington, the legendary jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader, released numerous albums throughout his illustrious career. It's challenging to narrow down his extensive discography to just ten, but here are some essential Duke Ellington albums that showcase his incredible talent and contribution to jazz: Ellington at Newport Columbia Records 1956 This live album is one of Ellington's most famous and significant recordings, featuring the iconic performance of Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" with an ...
read moreJazz Lines: Free Verse In The Key Of Jazz
![Read "Jazz Lines: Free Verse In The Key Of Jazz" reviewed by Gloria Krolak](jpg/3cbdbccd0385221006a535d6f4b517ac.jpg)
by Gloria Krolak
Duke Ellington, composer, arranger, pianist and originator of big-band jazz, wrote Sweet Jazz O'Mine" in 1930 when the genre was blooming. As a bandleader, Ellington was unsurpassed. He chose his musicians wisely and inspired some of their best work. Sweet Jazz" is a lively foxtrot celebrating this unorthodox new style that had people dancing and feeling good. What became my poem is a collection of songs about the instruments that make up the whole, the drums, the trombone, the clarinet, ...
read moreFrom Chart to Reality: The Editorial Role of the Pianist in a Big Band
![Read "From Chart to Reality: The Editorial Role of the Pianist in a Big Band" reviewed by Kurt Ellenberger](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
by Kurt Ellenberger
Note: This article was first published in the Jazz Education Journal in 2005, and was revised for All About Jazz. Preamble This article was written to address an issue that needed clarification, and indeed still needs clarification almost 20 years later, regarding the vagaries inherent in many of the published big band piano charts in use at hundreds of colleges and high schools. The professional jazz pianist will treat the written part with a great deal of freedom, ...
read moreJazz For The Serious Connoisseur
![Read "Jazz For The Serious Connoisseur" reviewed by Phillip A. Haynes](jpg/9586de030e267ce0df8125a5b2335147.jpg)
by Phillip A. Haynes
In tackling this top ten list for serious students of jazz, the focus was on works that shocked and intrigued upon first and successive listens, striving to understand their meaning, materials, historical context, and influence on contemporary improvisation. Blackbird" (1980) by Bobby McFerrin, The Voice (Elektra, 1984) When released, McFerrin's astounding virtuosity represented the first revolution in scat since Ella Fitzgerald. His entertaining and breathtaking man chorale" approach utilizes rapidly juxtaposed tessituras, changeable vocal characters, integrated ...
read more21 to 40
![Read "21 to 40" reviewed by Patrick Burnette](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
by Patrick Burnette
Two fifty is as good an artificial milestone as any, so the boys decide it's time for a GOAT episode. First they wrestle a top-twenty artist list into shape, arguing that there's so much consensus out there little work remains to be done and still taking an hour doing it. Then it's on to the tricky bitpicking out 21 through 40. Totems will get tumbled, weird choices will get made, and hearts will get broken. Mostly Mike's. No pop matters ...
read moreLarge Jazz Ensembles, Past And Present
![Read "Large Jazz Ensembles, Past And Present" reviewed by Jerome Wilson](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
by Jerome Wilson
This show on jazz orchestras and big bands begins and ends with Duke Ellington. In between, it includes Michael Gibbs, Count Basie, the Either/Orchestra, Chico O'Farrill, George Russell and several others. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Duke Ellington Moon Over Cuba" from 1941 (Classics) 01:03 Chico O'Farrill Havana Blues" from Carambola (Milestone) 4:12 Antonio Adolfo Milestones" from Encontros ...
read moreDuke Ellington at Grinnell College, 1957
![Duke Ellington at Grinnell College, 1957](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
On January 10, 1957, during a snowy Thursday evening, the Duke Ellington Orchestra played a concert at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. The performance was taped by the school with sophisticated gear, and the subsequent LP was released in limited supply. As a result, it has always been a highly sought-after album. Last week, Carl Woideck emailed with news that all the tracks were up on YouTube. Which is great to hear, since copies of vinyl copies very hard to ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Duke Ellington's birthday today!
By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States bestowed upon him the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his 50-year career, he had played over 20,000 ...
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The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra Performs Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" at the Dunbar Hotel on December 9th
![The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra Performs Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" at the Dunbar Hotel on December 9th](jpg/2b2494b04f8e89974c36c400c743896f.jpg)
Source:
David W Payne
Following their hugely successful SOLD OUT concert at Catalina's in Hollywood last month, The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra are performing Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite" at the historic Dunbar Hotel on Central Avenue. Michael Ellington, the Duke's great grand nephew, will be hosting the event. The Honorable Jan Perry, the Councilwoman responsible for the recent renovation of The Dunbar will also be in attendance. The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra (HJO) are going into the Recording Studio at the end of March. LAJO have ...
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The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra Perform Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite At The Dunbar On December 9
![The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra Perform Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite At The Dunbar On December 9](jpg/2b2494b04f8e89974c36c400c743896f.jpg)
Source:
David W Payne
The Honorable Jan Perry, who recently ran for Congress in November, has arranged for The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra to perform Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite at the historic The Dunbar Hotel on Central Avenue, Los Angeles on December 9th, During the 1930's and 1940's The Dunbar Hotel hosted many prominent Musicians traveling to perform in Los Angeles, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway and Paul Robeson. (All Ghosts are welcome). Jan Perry, ...
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Count, Duke, Stan, Harry, Gerald and Tubby in '65
![Count, Duke, Stan, Harry, Gerald and Tubby in '65](jpg/6a31397b0c3616a765be953fe474b78f.jpg)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Thought to be over and done in 1965, big bands staged a comeback. Most of their acclaim came on tours in Europe and and on TV, but the truth is that bands led by top names were undergoing a renaissance. With their kids in college or out of the house and rock starting to dominate, many older listeners in the U.S. began paying attention again to artists who had shaped their youth. Abroad, a generation of young adults marveled at ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Duke Ellington's birthday today!
By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States bestowed upon him the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his 50-year career, he had played over 20,000 ...
read more
The joy and legacy of the Duke Ellington songbook
![The joy and legacy of the Duke Ellington songbook](jpg/2eafc1b8ace9d2dfd998d1f32b3bebfc.jpg)
Source:
Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
Duke Ellington's impact on jazz seems beyond measure, no matter how you count it. He wrote, co-wrote or took credit for writing more than 1,000 compositions over a 50-year span. According to one family bio, it was more than 3,000 songs. The numbers really don't matter as much as the imprint Duke left on the music. That's what the Dan Miller-Lew Del Gatto sextet celebrated in their Charlotte County Jazz Society concert appearance on Monday, January 10. They dug into ...
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Duke Ellington: Berlin 1959
![Duke Ellington: Berlin 1959](jpg/d9c79db8939badc5c6a221c2dcf6d985.jpg)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
After my post last week on 16 jazz geniuses, I predictably received a flood of emails asking why Duke Ellington was missing from my list. As I explained, while Duke was exceptional, his piano didn't change the direction of jazz nor did a school emerge that emulated his approach. But the emails did give me pause. Perhaps Duke's influence was more subliminal, I thought. That's when it came to me. Ellington's genius was beauty and greater artistic self-worth. Prior to ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Duke Ellington](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Duke Ellington's birthday today!
By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States bestowed upon him the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his 50-year career, he had played over 20,000 ...
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Videos: Three Ellington Reeds
![Videos: Three Ellington Reeds](jpg/8c1a46999ef5eb52990e2e0abae33ef1.jpg)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Duke Ellington was a tonal impressionist. Each musician in his band had two functions—to be able to play and to have a special sound. Taken as a whole, his orchestral pieces were like canvases, with different hues layered on top of each other. Here are three of Ellington's top saxophonists on solo showcases, providing an opportunity to hear their distinct sounds isolated: Here's Ben Webster on Chelsea Bridge... Here's Harry Carney on Sophisticated Lady... And here's Johnny Hodges on I ...
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