Edward Kennedy Ellington
Smoking a cigarette in Germany, February 6, 1965
Background information
Birth name	Edward Kennedy Ellington
Also known as	Duke Ellington
Born	April 29, 1899(1899-04-29) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	May 24, 1974 (aged 75) New York, New York, U.S.
Genre(s)	Swing, Dixieland, Big band, Orchestral jazz
Occupation(s)	Bandleader, Pianist, Composer
Instrument(s)	Piano
Years active	1914-1974
Label(s)	Columbia, Brunswick, Impulse!, Verve, Victor

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader. Ellington can refer to: // Ellington, Connecticut, a town in Tolland County, Connecticut. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (574x804, 229 KB) Summary Duke Ellington during a concert brake at Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Frankfurt/M, Germany, 06. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see swing. ... Dixieland music is a style of jazz which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s. ... A big band, also known as a jazz orchestra, is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music, especially Swing. ... Orchestral jazz is a jazz genre developed in the United States in the 1920s, most significantly by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making music. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... The Brunswick Records logo Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. ... Impulse! Records is an American based jazz record label, originally launched in 1960 by Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records in New York City. ... Verve Records is an American Jazz record label, founded by Norman Granz in 1956, which absorbed the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953). ... The Victor Talking Machine Company (1901 - 1929) was a United States corporation, the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ...

Widely 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, with thematic repackagings of his signature music often becoming best-sellers. Posthumous recognition of his work include a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board. Jazz royalty is a term that reflects the many great jazz musicians who have some sort of royal title in their names or nicknames. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ...

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. For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Orchestral jazz is a jazz genre developed in the United States in the 1920s, most significantly by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. ... Joe Tricky Sam Nanton (February 1, 1904 - July 20, 1946) was a famous trombonist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. ... Juan Tizol in Duke Ellingtons orchestra (1943) Juan Tizol (31 December 1900 - 23 April 1984) was a Puerto Rican trombonist and composer. ... Caravan is a well-known jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington[1], and performed by Duke Ellington from 1937. ... Perdido is a jazz-song composed by Juan Tizol and was first recorded on December 3, 1941 by Duke Ellington and later by many others including Erroll Garner. ... The phrase Spanish Tinge is a reference to the belief that a Latin American touch offers a reliable method of spicing the more conventional 4/4 rhythms commonly used in jazz and pop music. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. ... Billy Strayhorn, photographed by Carl Van Vechten on 14. ...

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 in 1996. Today the band performs under the direction of his son Paul Ellington. This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Mercer Ellington (11 March 1919–8 February 1996) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. ...

Biography

Early life

Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington who lived in the home of his maternal grandparents at 2129 Ward Place, NW in Washington, D.C.^[1] James Edward Ellington was born in Lincolnton, North Carolina on April 15, 1879 and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1886 with his parents.^[2] Daisy Kennedy, was born in Washington, D.C. on January 4, 1879, and was the daughter of a former slave.^[3][4] J.E. made blueprints for the United States Navy; he was a butler for Dr. Middleton F. Cuthbert, a prominent white physician, and he also worked occasionally as a White House caterer.^[5] Daisy and J.E. were both piano players, she playing parlor songs and he operatic airs, and at the age of seven Ellington began taking piano lessons from Mrs. Marietta Clinkscales who lived at 1212 Street NW. The Clinkscales address is often, but erroneously, given as Ellington's childhood home. Daisy surrounded her son with dignified women who reinforced his manners and taught him to live elegantly. From his father, he absorbed self-confidence. Ellington’s childhood friends noticed that "his casual, offhand manner, his easy grace, and his dapper dress gave him the bearing of a young nobleman",^[6] and began calling him Duke. Ellington credited his "chum" Edgar McEntree, "a sharp dresser himself," with the nickname. "I think he felt that in order for me to be eligible for his constant companionship, I should have a title. So he called me Duke."^[7] Ellington received his name from childhood friends because he always dressed very elegantly and he also had a very aristocratic manner. For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Lincolnton is a city located in Lincoln County, North Carolina. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... USN redirects here. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

Though Ellington had been taking piano lessons from the age of eight, he failed to show much interest in them. At that time he was more concerned with baseball. "President Roosevelt (Teddy) would come by on his horse sometimes, and stop and watch us play," he recalled.^[8] Ellington went to Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C.. He got his first job selling peanuts at Washington Senator’s baseball games where he conquered his stage fright. Then, in the summer of 1914, while working as a soda jerk at the Poodle Dog Café he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag" (also known as the "Poodle Dog Rag"). Ellington created "Soda Fountain Rag" by ear, because he had not yet learned to read and write music. "I would play the '[Soda Fountain] Rag' as a one-step, two-step, waltz, tango, and fox trot," Ellington has recalled. "Listeners never knew it was the same piece. I was established as having my own repertory." In his autobiography, Music is my Mistress, (1973) Ellington comments he missed more lessons than he attended, feeling at the time that playing the piano was not his talent. Over time, this would change. Ellington started sneaking into Frank Holiday's Poolroom at age fourteen. Hearing the poolroom pianists play ignited Ellington's love for the instrument and he began to take his piano studies seriously.

Ellington began listening, watching, and imitating ragtime pianists, not only in Washington, D.C., but also in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, where he vacationed with his mother during the summer months. Dunbar High School music teacher Henry Lee Grant gave him private lessons in harmony. With the additional guidance of Washington pianist and band leader Oliver "Doc" Perry, Ellington learned to read sheet music, project a professional style, and improve his technique. Ellington was also inspired by his first encounters with James P. Johnson and Luckey Roberts, early jazz piano giants. Later in New York he took advice from Will Marion Cook, Fats Waller, and Sidney Bechet. Ellington started to play gigs in cafés and clubs in and around Washington, D.C. and began to realize his deep love for music. His attachment grew to be so strong that he turned down an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1916 and dropped out of Armstrong Manual Training School where he was studying commercial art just three months shy of graduation. For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... Alternate meanings: See Atlantic City (disambiguation) Atlantic City is a city located in USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,517. ... Sheet music is written representation of music. ... James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 - November 17, 1955) was a pianist and composer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Will Marion Cook (1869–1944) was a composer and violinist from the United States. ... Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904, died December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer. ... Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. ... Pratt Institute is a specialized, private college in New York City with campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as in Utica, New York. ... This article is about the New York City borough, or Kings County, New York. ...

From 1917 through 1919, Ellington launched his musical career, painting commercial signs by day and playing jazz by night. He also had a messenger job with the U.S. Navy and State Departments. Ellington moved out of his parents' home and into one that he had bought for himself as he quickly became a successful ragtime, jazz, and society pianist. At first, he played in other ensembles, then dove into the music business in late 1917 with the formation of his first group, The Duke’s Serenaders ("Colored Syncopators", his telephone directory advertising proclaimed) to which he was not only a member, but also the booking agent. His first play date was at the True Reformer's Hall where he took home 75 cents.^[9]

Ellington played throughout the Washington, D.C. area and into Virginia for private society balls and embassy parties. The band included: Otto Hardwick, who switched from bass to saxophone; Arthur Whetsel at the trumpet; Elmer Snowden at the banjo; and Sonny Greer at the drums. The boys thrived, performing for both African-American and white audiences, a rarity during the racially divided times. This will to succeed would eventually take his career to unforeseen heights and set him apart from all previous jazz composers. With his career taking off he felt secure enough to marry his high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson, on July 2, 1918 when he was 19. Shortly after their marriage, on March 11, 1919 Edna gave birth to their only son, Mercer Kennedy Ellington., who led his own band and took over his father's band after Duke's death. Mercer was an important archivist of his father's musical life. Mercer played trumpet and was the road manager of his father's band. Ellington's sister, Ruth, ran Tempo Music, the music publishing company he owned. His granddaughter, Mercedes is a dancer who has performed in network television productions. Otto Hardwick (May 31, 1904 - August 5, 1970) was a saxophone player. ... Although Elmer Snowden, born in Baltimore October 9, 1900, was one of the most talented banjo players of the jazz age, he also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. ... Edna Thompson was the wife of Duke Ellington. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Mercer Ellington (11 March 1919–8 February 1996) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. ...

Early career

When their drummer Sonny Greer was invited to join the Wilber Sweatman Orchestra in New York, Ellington made the fateful decision to leave behind his successful career in Washington, D.C. and aspire to the challenge of Harlem. The 'Harlem Renaissance' was in progress. New dance crazes, like the Charleston, were bred there as well as African-American musical theater, including Eubie Blake's Shuffle Along. After the young musicians left the Sweatman Orchestra to strike out on their own, they found an emerging jazz scene that was highly competitive and hard to crack. They hustled pool by day and played whatever gig they could find. The young band met Willie "The Lion" Smith who showed them the scene and even gave them spare cash. They played at rent-house parties to get by. After a few months, the young musicians returned to Washington, D.C. feeling discouraged. But in June of 1923, a gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey led to a play date at the prestigious Exclusive Club in Harlem, followed by a move to the Hollywood Club and a four-year engagement which gave Ellington a solid artistic base. The group was then called Elmer Snowden and his Black Sox Orchestra. and had seven members, including James "Bubber" Miley, a trumpeter whose growling style changed the "sweet" dance band sound of the group to one that was edgier and hipper. They renamed themselves "The Washingtonians". When Snowden left the group in early 1924, Ellington took over as bandleader. After a fire, the club was re-opened as the Club Kentucky (often referred to as the "Kentucky Club"), an engagement which set the stage for the biggest opportunities in Ellington's life. Sonny Greer (1943) Sonny Greer (13 December 1895–23 March 1982) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Duke Ellington. ... Wilbur C. Sweatman (Brunswick, Missouri, February 7, 1882 - New York City March 9, 1961) was an African-American ragtime and jazz composer, bandleader, and clarinetist. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925. ... Josephine Baker dancing the Charleston at the Folies Bergère, Paris, in 1926 A USPS stamp from the Celebrate the Century series: Flappers Doing the Charleston by John Held Jr. ... James Hubert Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983), was a composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. ... Shuffle Along premiered in 1921, written and composed by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and was the first major African American hit musical of the 1920s. ... Willie The Lion Smith (25 November 1897 - 18 April 1973) was a jazz pianist, one of the masters of the stride style. ... Atlantic City redirects here. ... James Wesley Bubber Miley (April 3, 1903 – May 20, 1932) was an early jazz trumpeter and cornet player, specializing in the use of the plunger mute. ...

In 1923, Ellington made seven records, receiving composing credit on three including Choo Choo.^[10] Then in 1925, Ellington contributed two songs to Chocolate Kiddies, an all-African-American revue which introduced European audiences to African-American styles and performers. While the orchestra had grown in size to a ten-piece conglomeration, their distinct sound had begun to develop as well, displaying the non-traditional expression of Ellington’s arrangements, the street rhythms of Harlem, and the exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, high-squealing trumpets, and sultry saxophone blues licks of the band members. For a short time, the great tenor saxophonist Sidney Bechet played with the group, imparting his propulsive swing and superior musicianship on the young band members. This helped attract to the Washingtonians the attention of some of the biggest names of jazz including Paul Whiteman and Tommy Dorsey. Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. ... 1928 Columbia Records label with caricature of Paul Whiteman Paul Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was a popular american orchestral leader. ... Tommy Dorsey, in a publicity shot for The Big Apple Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist and bandleader in the Big Band era. ...

In 1927, King Oliver turned down a regular booking for his group as the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club; the offer passed to Ellington. With a weekly radio broadcast and famous clientèle nightly pouring in to see them, the period from 1932 to 1942 gave rise to what many call the "golden age" for the poor boy from Washington D.C.. During these ten years, Ellington added three new members to his orchestra and composed some of his most well-known short works, including "Concerto for Cootie", "Ko-Ko", "Cotton Tail", "In a Sentimental Mood", and "Jump for Joy", his first full-length musical stage revue. Joe King Oliver, (December 19, 1885 - April 8, 1938) was a bandleader and jazz musician. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... For the 1984 film of the same name, see The Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a famous night club in New York City that operated during and after Prohibition. ... Cotton Tail is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. ...

Trumpeter Bubber Miley was present for only a short period but had a major influence on Ellington's sound. An early experimenter in jazz trumpet growling, Miley is credited with morphing the band's style from rigid dance instrumentation to a more "New Orleans", or "jungle" style. He also composed most of Black and Tan Fantasy and Creole Love Call. An alcoholic, Miley had to leave the band before they gained wider notoriety, and died in 1930 at the age of twenty-eight. He was an important influence on Cootie Williams, another member of the orchestra (basically his replacement) in the early years and later. James Bubber Miley (April 3, 1903 - May 20, 1932) was an early jazz trumpeter, specializing in the use of the plunger mute. ... Charles Melvin (Cootie) Williams (1910-1985) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. ...

In 1927 Ellington made a career-advancing agreement with agent-publisher Irving Mills giving Mills a 45% interest in Ellington's future.^[11] The brash, shrewd Mills had an eye for new talent and early on published compositions by Hoagy Carmichael, Dorothy Fields, and Harold Arlen. During the 1930s, Ellington's popularity continued to increase, largely as a result of the promotional skills of Mills, who got more than his fair share of co-composer credits. Mills arranged recording sessions on the Brunswick, Victor, and Columbia labels which gave Ellington popular recognition. Mills took the management burden off of Ellington's shoulders, allowing him to focus on his band's sound and his compositions. Ellington ended his association with Mills in 1937, although he continued to record under Mills' banner through 1940. Irving Mills (January 16, 1894–April 21, 1985) was a jazz music publisher. ... Hoagland Howard Hoagy Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. ... Dorothy Fields was immortalised on a USPS postage stamp. ... Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music. ...

At the Cotton Club, they were no longer strictly a dance band. Ellington's group performed all the music for the revues which mixed comedy, dance numbers, vaudeville, burlesque, hot music, and illegal alcohol. The musical numbers were composed by Jimmy McHugh and the lyrics by Dorothy Fields (later Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler), with some Ellington originals mixed in. Weekly radio broadcasts from the club gave Ellington national exposure. In 1929, Ellington appeared in his first movie, a nineteen-minute all-African-American RKO short, Black and Tan, in which he played the hero "Duke". In the same year, The Cotton Club Orchestra appeared on stage for several months in Ziegfeld's Show Girl, along with vaudeville stars Jimmy Durante, Eddie Foy, Jr., Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Gus Kahn. That feverish period also included numerous recordings, under the pseudonyms "Whoopee Makers", "The Jungle Band", "Harlem Footwarmers", and the "Ten Black Berries". In 1930, Ellington and his Orchestra connected with a whole different audience in a concert with Maurice Chevalier and they also performed at the Roseland, "America's foremost ballroom". Noted composer Percy Grainger was also an early admirer and supporter. Jimmy McHugh (July 10, 1894 - May 23, 1969), was one of the greatest and most prolific songwriters during the 1920s-1950s. ... Dorothy Fields was immortalised on a USPS postage stamp. ... Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music. ... Ted Koehler (July 14, 1894—January 17, 1973) was an Jewish-American lyric writer. ... “Inka Dinka Doo” redirects here. ... Eddie Foy Jr. ... Al Jolson (May 26, 1886–October 23, 1950) was a highly acclaimed American singer, comedian and actor of Jewish heritage whose career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950. ... Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, (August 25, 1909 – February 28, 1993), was an actress, singer, and dancer most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Brothers. ... Gershwin redirects here. ... Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886 - October 8, 1941) was a famous Jewish-German-American musician, songwriter and lyricist. ... French singer Maurice Chevalier with stars of Hellzapoppin at Expo 67, in Montreal, Quebec. ... Roseland may refer to: Roseland, Cornwall, United Kingdom In the United States: Roseland, California Roseland, Florida Roseland, Indiana Roseland, Kansas Roseland, Louisiana Roseland, Nebraska Roseland, New Jersey This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Percy Grainger. ...

As the Depression deepened, the recording industry took a dive, dropping over 90% by 1933.^[12] Ellington and his orchestra survived the hard times by taking to the road in a series of tours. Radio exposure also helped maintain his popularity. Ivie Anderson was hired as their vocalist (Sonny Greer had been providing occasional vocals). Normally, Ellington led the orchestra by conducting from the keyboard using piano cues and visual gestures; very rarely did he conduct using a baton. As a bandleader, Ellington was not a strict disciplinarian but he maintained control of his orchestra for decades to come with a crafty combination of charm, humor, flattery, and astute psychology. A complex, private person he revealed his feelings to only his closest intimates and effectively used his public persona to deflect attention away from himself. Ivie Anderson (sometimes Ivy) (January 16, 1904 - September 28, 1949) was a jazz performer and singer, best known as performing with Duke Ellingtons band between 1931 and 1942. ...

While their United States audience remained mainly African-American in this period, the Cotton Club had a near exclusive white clientèle and the band had a huge following overseas, demonstrated both in a trip to England in 1933 and a 1934 visit to the European mainland. The English visit saw Ellington win praise from members of the "serious" music community, including composer Constant Lambert, which gave a boost to his aspirations to compose longer "serious" pieces. And for agent Mills, it was a publicity triumph, as Ellington was now "internationally famous". On their tour through the segregated South in 1934, they avoided some of the traveling difficulties of African-American musicians by touring in private railcars, which provided easy accommodations, dining, and storage for equipment, while avoiding the indignities of segregated facilities. Leonard Constant Lambert (August 23, 1905 – August 21, 1951) was a British composer and conductor. ...

The death of Ellington's mother in 1935 led to a temporary slump in his career. Competition was also intensifying, as African-American and white "Swing Bands" began to rocket to popular attention, including those of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Carter, Earl Hines, Chick Webb, and Count Basie. Swing dancing became a youth phenomenon, particularly with white college audiences, and "dancability" drove record sales and bookings. Jukeboxes proliferated nationwide spreading the gospel of "swing". Ellington band could certainly "swing" with the best of them, but Ellington's strength was mood and nuance, and richness of composition, hence his statement "jazz is music; swing is business".^[13] The challenge for Ellington at that time was to create a workable balance between his ceaseless artistic exploration and the popular requirements of that era. Ellington countered with two innovations. He made recordings for smaller groups (sextets, octets, and nonets) drawn from his then 15-man orchestra and he composed pieces that were concerto-like and focused on a specific instrumentalist, as with Jeep's Blues for Johnny Hodges and Yearning for Love with Lawrence Brown. Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman[1] , (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician and virtuoso clarinetist, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish... Tommy Dorsey, in a publicity shot for The Big Apple Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist and bandleader in the Big Band era. ... James Jimmy Dorsey (February 29, 1904 - June 12, 1957) was a prominent jazz clarinetist, saxophonist and big band leader. ... James Melvin Jimmie Lunceford (June 6, 1902–July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader of the swing era. ... Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. ... Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl Fatha Hines, (28 December 1903[1] Duquesne, Pennsylvania – 22 April 1983 in Oakland, California) was one of the most important pianists in the history of jazz. ... William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1909–June 16, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. ... A Zodiac jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. ... Johnny Hodges in concert, Feb. ... Lawrence Brown (1907-September 5, 1988) was a jazz trombonist from Kansas. ...

In 1937, Ellington returned to the Cotton Club which had relocated to the mid-town theater district. In the summer of that year, his father died, and due to many expenses Ellington's financial condition was tight. Things improved in 1938 and he met and moved in with Cotton Club employee Beatrice "Evie" Ellis. After splitting with agent Irving Mills, he signed on with William Morris. The 1930's ended with a very successful European tour just as World War II loomed. This page is about William Morris, the writer, designer and socialist. ...

Ellington delivered some huge hits during the 1930s, which greatly helped to build his overall reputation Mood Indigo in 1930, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) in 1932, Sophisticated Lady in 1933, In a Sentimental Mood in 1935, Caravan in 1937, I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart in 1938. Following shortly were Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me in 1940 and Take the "A" Train (written by Billy Strayhorn) in 1941. Mood Indigo is a classic jazz composition and song, with words and music by Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, and Irving Mills [1]. The main theme was provided by Bigard, who learned it in New Orleans, Louisiana from his clarinet teacher Lorenzo Tio, who called it a Mexican Blues. Ellingtons... It Dont Mean A Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing) is a 1932 (see 1932 in music) composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. ... Sophisticated Lady is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington, to which words were added by Mitchell Parish and Irving Mills. ... Duke Ellington composed In A Sentimental Mood in 1935. ... Caravan is a well-known jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington[1], and performed by Duke Ellington from 1937. ... Take the A Train is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn, referring to the A subway service that runs through New York City, going at that time from eastern Brooklyn up into Harlem and northern Manhattan, using the express tracks in Manhattan. ... Billy Strayhorn, photographed by Carl Van Vechten on 14. ...

The most important event of Ellington’s “golden age” was the arrival of Billy Strayhorn. Hired as a lyricist, Strayhorn , nicknamed "Swee' Pea" for his mild manner, eventually became a vital member of the Ellington Organization and as Ellington described him, "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back if my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine".^[14] Strayhorn, with his Classical music training, applied that knowledge to arrange and polish future Ellington works. Ellington came to rely on Strayhorn's harmonic judgment, discipline, and taste.

Duke in the 1940s

Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club in New York, May 1943.

The band reached a creative peak in the early 1940s, when Ellington wrote for an orchestra of distinctive voices and displayed tremendous creativity. In November of 1943 Ellington debuted Black, Brown and Beige in Carnegie Hall which told the struggle of African-Americans in America and began a series of concerts ideally suited to displaying Ellington's longer works. While some jazz musicians had played at Carnegie Hall before, few had performed anything as elaborate as Ellington’s work. Some of the musicians created a sensation in their own right. The short-lived Jimmy Blanton transformed the use of double bass in jazz, allowing it to function as a solo rather than a rhythm instrument alone. Ben Webster too, the Orchestra's first regular tenor saxophonist, started a rivalry with Johnny Hodges as the Orchestra's foremost voice in the sax section. Ray Nance joined in, replacing Cootie Williams who had "defected", contemporary wags claimed, to Benny Goodman. Nance, however, added violin to the instrumental colors Ellington had at his disposal. A privately made recording of Nance's first concert date, at Fargo, North Dakota, in November 1940, is probably the most effective display of the band at the peak of its powers during this period. This recording is one of the first of innumerable live performances which survive, made by enthusiasts or broadcasters, significantly expanding the Ducal discography as a result. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (595x750, 46 KB) Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (595x750, 46 KB) Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... Jimmy Blanton (1918 – July 30, 1942) was an American jazz double bassist. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909–September 20, 1973) was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. ... Ray Willis Nance (1913 - 1976) was a jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer. ... Charles Melvin (Cootie) Williams (1910-1985) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. ... Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman[1] , (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician and virtuoso clarinetist, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish... “Fargo” redirects here. ...

Three-minute masterpieces flowed from the minds of Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (from 1939), Ellington's son Mercer Ellington, and members of the Orchestra. "Cotton Tail", "Mainstem", "Harlem Airshaft", "Streets of New York" and dozens of others date from this period. Billy Strayhorn, photographed by Carl Van Vechten on 14. ... Mercer Ellington (11 March 1919–8 February 1996) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. ... Cotton Tail is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. ...

Ellington's long-term aim became to extend the jazz form from the three-minute limit of the 78 rpm record side, of which he was an acknowledged master. He had composed and recorded Creole Rhapsody as early as 1931, and his tribute to his mother, "Reminiscing in Tempo," had filled 4 record sides in 1938; however, it was not until the 1940s that this became a regular feature of Ellington's work. In this, he was helped by Strayhorn, who had enjoyed a more thorough training in the forms associated with classical music than Ellington. The first of these, "Black, Brown, and Beige" (1943), was dedicated to telling the story of African-Americans, the place of slavery, and the church in their history. Unfortunately, starting a regular pattern, Ellington's longer works were generally not well-received; Jump for Joy, an earlier musical, closed after only six performances in 1941. A 12-inch record (left), a 7-inch record (right), and a CD (above) Two 7 singles (left), two colored 7 singles (middle), and two 7 singles with large spindle holes (right). ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Black, Brown, and Beige is a jazz suite written by Duke Ellington for a concert at the Carnegie Hall in 1943. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Predominantly Christianity and Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ...

The first recording ban of 1942-3 had a serious effect on all the big bands because of the increase in royalty payments to musicians its resolution necessitated; the financial viability of Ellington's operation was under threat, though Ellington's income as a songwriter ultimately subsidized the Orchestra. Ellington always spent lavishly and although he drew a respectable income from the Orchestra's operations, the band's income often just covered expenses.^[15] On August 1, 1942, the American Federation of Musicians organized a strike against the major recording companies because of disagreements over royalty payments. ...

Meanwhile, the development of modern jazz, or bebop, the music industry's shift to solo vocalists such as the young Frank Sinatra as the Big Band age died out, and the diminishing popularity of ballroom and nightclub entertainment in the early television era all undermined Ellington's popularity and status as a trendsetter. Bebop rebelled against commercial jazz, dance jazz, and strict forms to become the music of jazz aficionados. Furthermore, by 1950 the emerging African-American popular music style known as Rhythm and Blues drew away the young African-American audience and soon Rock & Roll followed. In the face of these major social shifts, Ellington continued on his own course, but major defections soon roiled his Orchestra and he started to retire earlier works composed for now departed members. For a time though Ellington continued to turn out major works, such as the Kay Davis vocal feature Transblucency and major extended compositions such as Harlem (1950), whose score he presented to music-loving President Harry Truman. This article is about the genre of music, for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character see Bebop and Rocksteady. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... R&B redirects here. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For the victim of Mt. ...

In 1951, Ellington suffered a major loss of personnel, with Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, and most significantly, Johnny Hodges leaving to pursue other ventures. Lacking overseas opportunities and motion picture appearances, Ellington Orchestra survived on "one-nighters" and whatever else came their way, even six weeks in the summer of 1955 as the band for the Aquacade in Flushing, New York. Even though he made many television appearances, Ellington's hope that television would provide a significant new venue for his type of jazz did not pan out. The introduction of the 33 1/3 rpm LP record and hi-fi phonograph did give new life to older compositions. However by 1955, after ten years of recording for Capitol, Ellington no longer had a regular recording affiliation. Johnny Hodges in concert, Feb. ... Several landmarks from two New York Worlds Fairs still stand in Flushing Meadows, including the US Steel Unisphere Flushing is an urban neighborhood in the northern part of the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California. ...

Career revival

Ellington's appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 7, 1956 returned him to wider prominence and exposed him to new audiences. The feature "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", with saxophonist Paul Gonsalves's six-minute saxophone solo, had been in the band's book since 1937, but on this occasion it nearly created a riot. The revived attention should not have surprised anyone — Hodges had returned to the fold the previous year, and Ellington's collaboration with Strayhorn had been renewed around the same time, under terms amenable to the younger man. Such Sweet Thunder (1957), based on Shakespeare's plays and characters, and The Queen's Suite the following year (dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II), were products of the renewed impetus which the Newport appearance had helped to create. The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every August in Newport, Rhode Island. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue is a Big Band Jazz song written by Duke Ellington. ... Paul Gonsalves (1920-1974), a Brazilian-American jazz tenor saxophonist, was considered one of the best and most tasteful players on his instrument. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

A new record contract with Columbia produced Ellington's best-selling LP Ellington at Newport and six years of recording stability under producer Irving Townsend, who coaxed both commercial and artistic productions from Ellington. In 1957, CBS (Columbia's parent corporation) aired a live television production of A Drum Is a Woman, an allegorical suite which received mixed reviews. Other festivals at Monterey and elsewhere provided new venues for live exposure, and a European tour in 1958 was wildly received. After a 25-year gap, Ellington and Strayhorn again wrote film scores, this time for Anatomy of a Murder and Paris Blues. Despite some personnel turnover, in 1960 Ellington still possessed a seasoned corp with Carney, Hodges, Williams, Brown, Nance, Hamilton, Procope, Anderson, and Gonsalves. Ellington and Strayhorn, always looking for new musical territory, produced adaptations of John Steinbeck's novel Sweet Thursday, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt. The late 1950s also saw Ella Fitzgerald record her Duke Ellington Songbook with Ellington and his orchestra, a recognition that Ellington's songs had now become part of the cultural canon known as the "Great American Songbook". Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 film which tells the story of a man charged with murdering a man who may have raped his wife; the bulk of the films plot revolves around the drama as it unfolds in court. ... Paris Blues is a 1961 American feature film. ... For other members of the family, see Steinbeck (disambiguation). ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg (15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the romantic period. ... Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ... Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook is a 1957 album by the American Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Duke Ellington orchestra, focusing on Ellingtons songs. ... Songwriter Harold Arlen (right) with singer Bing Crosby (left) and Decca Records owner Jack Kapp (center) Great American Songbook is an informal term referring to the interrelated music of Broadway musical theater, the Hollywood musical, and Tin Pan Alley, in a period that begins roughly in the 1920s and tapers...

In the early 1960s, Ellington was between recording contracts, which allowed him to record with a variety of artists mostly not previously associated with him. The Ellington and Count Basie orchestras recorded together and he made a record with Coleman Hawkins, plus some work for Frank Sinatra's new Reprise label. In 1962, he participated in a session which produced the "Money Jungle" (United Artists) album with Charles Mingus and Max Roach, and also recorded with John Coltrane for Impulse. Musicians who had previously worked with Ellington returned to the Orchestra as members: Lawrence Brown in 1960 and Cootie Williams two years later. Ellington was by now performing all over the world, a significant portion of each year was now spent making overseas tours, and he formed notable new working relationships, among which included the Swedish vocalist Alice Babs, and South African musicians Dollar Brand and Sathima Bea Benjamin (A Morning in Paris, 1963/2007). His earlier hits were now established standards, earning Ellington impressive royalties. "The writing and playing of music is a matter of intent.... You can't just throw a paint brush against the wall and call whatever happens art. My music fits the tonal personality of the player. I think too strongly in terms of altering my music to fit the performer to be impressed by accidental music. You can't take doodling seriously." William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. ... Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes Bean, (November 21, 1901 or 1904 - May 19, 1969) was a prominent jazz tenor saxophone musician. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... Money Jungle is a 1962 jazz trio session by Duke Ellington with drummer Max Roach and bassist Charles Mingus. ... United Artists Records was a record label founded by United Artists soon after its own founding in 1919 to distribute soundtracks from its movies. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. ... Coltrane redirects here. ... Impulse! Records is an American based jazz record label, originally launched in 1960 by Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records in New York City. ... Charles Melvin (Cootie) Williams (1910-1985) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. ... Alice Babs (born Hildur Alice Nilsson in January 26, 1924) is a singer and actor from Kalmar in Sweden. ... Abdullah Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand, formally known as Dollar Brand (from a popular brand of matches), is a South African pianist and composer who was born in Cape Town in 1934. ... Sathima Bea Benjamin (Born 1936, Johannesburg, South Africa), is a South African vocalist and composer in Johannesburg and raised in Cape Town. ...

Last years

Ellington receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Nixon, 1969.

Ellington was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1965, but was turned down.^[16] His reaction at 67 years old: "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young." He performed his first Concert of Sacred Music, an attempt at fusing Christian liturgy with jazz, in September of the same year, and even though it received so-so reviews, Ellington was enormously proud of the composition and performed it dozens of times. This concert was followed by two others of the same type in 1968 and 1973, called the Second and Third Sacred Concerts, respectively. This caused enormous controversy in what was already a tumultuous time in the United States. Many saw the Sacred Music suites as an attempt to reinforce commercial support for organized religion, though Ellington simply said it was, "the most important thing I've done," perhaps with a touch of hyperbole.^[17] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States and is bestowed by the President of the United States (the other award which is considered its equivalent is the Congressional Gold Medal, which is bestowed by an... Nixon redirects here. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ...

Though his later work is overshadowed by his music of the early 1940s, Ellington continued to make vital and innovative recordings, including The Far East Suite (1966), "The New Orleans Suite" (1970), and "The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse" (1971), much of it inspired by his world tours. It was during this time that Ellington recorded his only album with Frank Sinatra, entitled Francis A. & Edward K.. The Far East Suite is an album by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, recorded in New York City on 19 December to 21 December 1966. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... Francis A. & Edward K. is a 1968 album by Frank Sinatra featuring Duke Ellington and his big band. ...

Ellington was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1966. He was later awarded several other prizes, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969, and the Legion of Honor by France in 1973, the highest civilian honors in each country. He died of lung cancer and pneumonia on May 24, 1974, a month after his 75th birthday, and was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, New York City. At his funeral attended by over 12,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Ella Fitzgerald summed up the occasion, "It's a very sad day. A genius has passed."^[18] Mercer Ellington picked up the reins of the orchestra immediately after Duke's death. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording [1]. This award is distinct from the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, which honors specific recordings rather than individuals, and... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States and is bestowed by the President of the United States (the other award which is considered its equivalent is the Congressional Gold Medal, which is bestowed by an... Chiang Kai-sheks Légion dhonneur. ... Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. ... This article is about human pneumonia. ... Located in The Bronx, Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City. ... For other uses, see The Bronx (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ...

Work in films and the theatre

Ellington's film work began in 1929 with the short film Black and Tan Fantasy. His Symphony In Black, which introduced Billie Holliday, was performed on film in 1935, winning an Academy Award as the best musical short subject. He also appeared in the 1930 Amos 'n' Andy film Check and Double Check. He and his Orchestra continued to appear in films throughout the 1930s and 1940s, both in short films and in features such as Murder at the Vanities, and Belle Of The Nineties, (1934), and Cabin In The Sky (1943). In the late 1950s, his work in films took the shape of scoring for soundtracks, notably Anatomy of a Murder (1959), with James Stewart, in which he appeared fronting a roadhouse combo, and Paris Blues, (1961), which featured Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier as jazz musicians. Short subject is an American film industry term that historically has referred to any film in the format of two reels, or approximately 20 minutes running time, or less. ... Black and Tan Fantasy (1929), also known as Black and Tan, is a short film directed and written by Dudley Murphy and features Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. ... Billie Holiday photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1949 Billie Holiday (April 7, 1915 - July 17, 1959), also called Lady Day is generally considered one of the greatest jazz singers of all time. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Illustrator J.J. Goulds 1930 drawing of Amos and Andy for New Movie Magazine Amos n Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. ... Check and Double Check was a 1930 motion picture made and released by RKO based on the then-popular Amos & Andy radio show. ... Murder at the Vanities is a 1934 film released by Paramount Pictures directed by Mitchell Leisen, starring Carl Brisson, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle, and Gertrude Michael, and featuring Duke Ellington and his band. ... Belle of the Nineties was Mae Wests fourth motion picture. ... ... A film score is a set of musical compositions written to accompany a film. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 film which tells the story of a man charged with murdering a man who may have raped his wife; the bulk of the films plot revolves around the drama as it unfolds in court. ... For other persons named James Stewart, see James Stewart (disambiguation). ... Paris Blues is a 1961 American feature film. ... This article is about the American actor and race team owner. ... Not to be confused with Sydney Tamiia Poitier. ...

He wrote an original score for Shakespeare's Timon of Athens that was first used in the Stratford Festival production that opened July 29, 1963 for director Michael Langham, who has used it for several subsequent productions, most recently in an adaptation by Stanley Silverman that expands on the score with some of Ellington's best-known works. For other uses, see Timon (disambiguation). ... The Stratford Festival of Canada is a summer-long celebration of theatre. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ...

Ellington composed the score for the musical "Jump For Joy," which was performed in Los Angeles in 1941. Ellington's sole book musical, Beggar's Holiday, was staged on Broadway in 1946. Sophisticated Ladies, an award-winning 1981 musical revue, incorporated many of the tunes he made famous. Beggars Holiday is a musical with a book and lyrics by John La Touche and music by Duke Ellington. ... Original poster Sophisticated Ladies is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. ...

Legacy

In December of 1936 he was given the keys to the city of Los Angeles. Then, in 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson presented Ellington with the Presidents Gold Medal. Just three years later he was recognized by Richard M. Nixon with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Along with politically natured awards, he received high honors from the music community. Ellington has been honored with thirteen Grammy awards which span from 1959 to 2000, nine of which he lived to receive. In addition to a variety of awards, numerous memorials have been dedicated to Duke Ellington. A statue of Ellington at a piano is featured at UCLA's Schoenberg Hall.

Gunther Schuller said "Ellington composed incessantly to the very last days of his life. Music was indeed his mistress; it was his total life and his commitment to it was incomparable and unalterable. In jazz he was a giant among giants. And in twentieth century music, he may yet one day be recognized as one of the half-dozen greatest masters or our time."^[19] Gunther Schuller Gunther Schuller (born November 22, 1925) studied at the St. ...

Martin Williams said "Duke Ellington lived long enough to hear himself named among our best composers. And since his death in 1974, it has become not at all uncommon to see him named, along with Charles Ives, as the greatest composer we have produced, regardless of category."^[20] Martin T. Williams (1924–1992) was born in Richmond, Virginia. ... This photo from around 1913 shows Ives in his day job. He was the director of a successful insurance agency. ...

In Ellington's birthplace of Washington, D.C., there stands a school dedicated to his honor and memory as well as a majestic bridge. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts educates talented students, who are considering careers in the arts, by providing intensive arts instruction and strong academic programs that prepare students for post-secondary education and professional careers. The massive Duke Ellington Bridge, built in 1935, carries Calvert Street over the ravine of Rock Creek Park, connecting Woodley Park to Adams Morgan. Ellington lived for years in a townhouse on the corner of Manhattan's Riverside Drive and West 106th Street. After his death, West 106th Street was officially renamed Duke Ellington Boulevard. A large memorial to Ellington, created by sculptor Robert Graham, was dedicated in 1997 in New York's Central Park, near Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, an intersection named Duke Ellington Circle. Although he made two more stage appearances before his death, Ellington performed what is considered his final "full" concert in a ballroom at Northern Illinois University on March 20, 1974. The hall was renamed the Duke Ellington Ballroom in 1980. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located in Washington, D.C. dedicated to arts education. ... The Duke Ellington Bridge, named after Duke Ellington, carries Calvert Street, N.W., over Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It connects 18th Street, N.W., in Adams Morgan with Connecticut Avenue, N.W., in Woodley Park, just north of the Taft Bridge. ... Rock Creek Park is an urban natural area with public park facilities which bisects Washington, D.C. East of the park, except for a few enclaves, the city has a decidedly urban character. ... Map of Washington, D.C., with Woodley Park highlighted in red Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC. It is bounded on the north by Woodley and Klingle Roads, on the east by the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, on the south by Calvert Street, on the... Adams Morgan is a neighborhood in Washington, DC, in the northwest quadrant of the city above Dupont Circle. ... A numbder of cities have a Riverside Drive: Riverside Drive (New York) Riverside Drive (Ottawa) Riverside Drive (Anderson, California) Riverside Drive (Asotin County, Washington) Riverside Drive (Austin, Texas) Riverside Drive (Bandon, Oregon) Riverside Drive (Battle Creek, Michigan) Riverside Drive (Coos County, Oregon) Riverside Drive (Douglas County, Oregon) Riverside Drive (Douglas... Robert Gra