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Duke Ellington, 29 Apr 1899 - 24 May 1974, by Peter Hurd^{[citation needed]}, Tempera on board, 1956

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 – May 24 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.

Recognized during his life as one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music, Ellington's reputation has increased since his death, including a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board.

Ellington called his style and sound "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category", including many of the musicians who served with his orchestra, some of whom were themselves considered among the giants of jazz and remained with Ellington's orchestra for decades. While many were noteworthy in their own right, it was Ellington that melded them into one of the most well-known orchestral units in the history of jazz. He often composed specifically for the style and skills of these individuals, such as "Jeep's Blues" for Johnny Hodges, "Concerto for Cootie" (" Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me") for Cootie Williams and "The Mooche" for Tricky Sam Nanton. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and " Perdido" which brought the " Spanish Tinge" to big-band jazz. After 1941, he frequently collaborated with composer-arranger Billy Strayhorn, who he called his alter-ego.

One of the twentieth century's best-known African-American celebrities, Ellington recorded for many American record companies, and appeared in several films. Ellington and his orchestra toured the United States and Europe regularly before and after World War II. Ellington led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974. His son Mercer Ellington took over the band until his death from cancer in 1996. Paul Ellington, Mercer's youngest son, took over the Orchestra from there and after his mother's passing took over the Estate of Duke and Mercer Ellington.

[edit] Billy Taylor, Duke Ellington and Willie the Lion

[edit] Further reading

• Collier, James Lincoln. Duke Ellington, Oxford University Press, 1987. ISBN 0-19-503770-7
• Dance, Stanley. The World Of Duke Ellington, ISBN 0-306-80136-1
• Ellington, Duke. Music Is My Mistress, ISBN 0-7043-3090-3
• Ellington, Mercer K. Duke Ellington In Person, Houghton Mifflin, 1978. ISBN 0-395-25711-5
• Ellington, Mercer K. Fast Facts. Duke Ellington.25 CMG WorldWide. 1 February 2007
• Hasse, John Edward. The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, Simon & Schuster, 1993, ISBN 0-671-70387-0
• Tucker, Mark. Ellington, The Early Years, University of Illinois Press, 1991. ISBN 0-252-01425-1
• Ulanov, Barry. Duke Ellington, Creative Age Press, 1946.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Collier, James Lincoln (1987), Duke Ellington, New York Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-503770-7 .
• Dance, Stanley (1970), The World Of Duke Ellington, New York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-306-80136-1 .*Ellington, Duke (1976), Music Is My Mistress, Da Capo Press, ISBN 0306800330 .
• Ellington, Mercer (1978), Duke Ellington In Person, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0-395-27511-5 .
• Haidon, David (1996), Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, ISBN 9780865475120 .
• Hasse, John Edward (1993), Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, New York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-671-70387-0 .
• Hasse, John Edward (1995), Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, New York: Da Capo Press, ISBN 0306806142 .
• Lawrence, A. H. (2001), Duke Ellington and His World: A Biography, New York: Routledge, ISBN 041593012X.
• Schuller, Gunther (1986), Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195040432 .
• Schuller, Gunther (2005), The Swing Era: The Development Of Jazz, 1930-1945, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195072405 .
• Terkel, Studs (2002), Giants of Jazz (2nd ed.), New York: The New Press, ISBN 978-1-56584-769-9 .
• Tucker, Mark (1995), Ellington: The Early Years, New York: University of Illinois Press, ISBN 9780252065095 .
• Tucker, Mark (1993), The Duke Ellington Reader, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195093919 .
• Ulanov, Barry (1946), Duke Ellington, New York: Creative Age Press .
• Weisbard, Eric, ed. (2004), This Is Pop: In Search of the Elusive at Experience Music Project, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, ISBN 0674013441 .

[edit] External links

• Duke Ellington Biography, in Down Beat Magazine.
• Duke Ellington Collection: Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Archive Center.
• Duke Ellington DVD: A Duke Named Ellington.
• Duke Ellington Official Website.
• Duke Ellington on the Web.
• A Duke Ellington Panorama; including detailed discography.
• Duke Ellington: 20th International Conference. May 2008, London.
• Duke Ellington Orchestra at Wenig-LaMonica Associates