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Duke Leigh Sonnet 1 Analysis

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Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) is a well renowned and respected figure as an American performer and composer.

Ellington fundamental character was based by the bonds from his family and establishments of the city 's large African American community. He states that in his memoirs, Music is My Mistress, Ellington emphasizes values inherited from his parents and from the black community that produced many achievements. He also records down Washington 's rich musical life and profiles some of its leading figures, among them Doc Perry, Henry Grant, and Louis Brown.

His musical interests were passive as he found more interests in baseball and sports, his parents had no qualms about his obsession with baseball as he was doing well with …show more content…

The first jazz work considered more than just dance music, this piece brought attention to Ellington 's genius in orchestration. Its "A" Section has the first melody, a dirge-like minor key, and piano accents. Section "B1" has the second melody in a major key, with variations and blues-like accents and growls, and section "B2" presents a variation on the second melody. Section "C" features sustained trumpet, high notes, and growls. Section "D" provides a piano solo. Section "E" features "neighing" trombone sound effects accented by drums. The composition ends with a funeral-march theme from Chopin.

An interesting development in Duke Ellington and his orchestra, was the use of special jazz mutes spontaneously constructed by the black musicians, the plunger mutes. As some of these musicians were not from well to do families, one could not afford a proper mute and used anything they could get their hands on. These sounds were unfamiliar and created a unique color that not anyone in those days have heard of. The sounds created were nicknamed jungle sounds, and this became an identity of Duke Ellington 's jazz …show more content…

He began from here experimenting with this new sound which was stressed on sonority of instruments. This eventually evolved the transformation of the sound of brass instruments through the use of newly modified mutes.Saxophonist Russell Procope said that "Mood Indigo" was the band 's greatest popular number, and they played it every night for twenty-eight years. It is a sincere tone poem, and its original sound shaped the

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