Introduction:
Duke Ellington was a pioneer in the jazz movement, and helped turn what was considered shoddy dance music into an acclaimed art form. Once a young, musically inclined boy eventually found himself caught up in the center of the Harlem renaissance, giving him the connections, knowledge and opportunity he needed to pioneer a different kind of jazz music. The man always considered himself a composer over a musician, and his body of work remains the largest personal jazz legacy.
Biography:
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Ellington in Washington, D.C. Both his parents were pianists with his father playing operatic arias while his mother preferred parlor songs3. Ellington
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While Ellington’s group could play swing music, it was not their greatest strength. Ellington’s orchestra was forced to adapt to the new musical landscape.5
From 1936 onwards, Ellington began to make recordings with smaller groups (sextets, octets, and nonets) formed from his 15-man orchestra. In this wave of recordings, Ellington often composed pieces intended to feature one specific instrumentalist over the group as a whole.2
The 1930s ended with a very successful European tour just as World War II loomed in Europe. Ellington’s band continued to produce records throughout the 1940’s, but by 1950 the rate at which each song was recorded had slowed significantly. By 1955, Ellington no longer had a regular recording affiliation.
Ellington returned to prominence in 1956 after an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, which exposed his works to a new generation of jazz enthusiasts. Ellington then continued to collaborate with prominent artists and tour the world with his orchestra until his death.
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington died on May 24, 1974, and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, the Bronx, New York