He was very fond of playing baseball. Early life. Duke Ellington was a U.S. pianist, composer, and bandleader. It returned him to wider prominence and introduced him to a new generation of jazz fans. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. When Duke was 7 years old he started to study to play piano. A dapper dresser from an early age, Ellington was given the name “Duke” by friends who admired his style. Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington DC to parents James Ellington and Daisy Ellington. It’s almost 40 years now since music lost one of its true royals with the passing of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington in May 1974. He recorded for most American record companies of his time and performed in several films and composed several stage musicals. Quote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes, See the events in life of Duke Ellington in Chronological Order. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. The Ellington band toured Europe often after World War II; it also played in Asia (1963–64, 1970), West Africa (1966), South America (1968), and Australia (1970) and frequently toured North America. Instead, he used new harmonies to blend his musicians’ individual sounds and emphasized congruent sections and a supple ensemble that featured Carney’s full bass-clef sound. Updates? His gift of melody and his mastery of sonic textures, rhythms, and compositional forms translated his often subtle, often complex perceptions into a body of music unequaled in jazz history. At the age of seven, he began learning piano and was christened “Duke” due to his gentlemanly ways. At the age of seven, he began studying the piano. Inducted into the International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers (ISJAC) Hall of Fame in 2017 (inaugural class). By his late teens, he was making enough money to help his parents move into a better house. Family Life and Relationship . Both of his parents were pianists, and his father also made blueprints for the United States Navy. He was such a talented artist that he was awarded a scholarship to a school called the Pratt Institute, but he did not accept it. https://www.notablebiographies.com/Du-Fi/Ellington-Duke.html He helped compose more than 1,000 original pieces, many of which became standards. An elegant man, Ellington maintained a regal manner as he led the band and charmed audiences with his suave humour. Duke Ellington's original 14-member band included such musicians as cornetist Rex Stewart, trombonist Lawrence Brown, baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. By then, too, Billy Strayhorn, composer of what would become the band’s theme song, “Take the ‘A’ Train,” had become Ellington’s composing-arranging partner. His given name was Edward, not Duke. Ellington was celebrated in Stevie Wonder's song "Sir Duke" (from "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976)). He began singing with the blues. He is regarded as one of the greatest jazz composers and a prolific performer of his time. The story goes that Ellington’s self-confidence and flashy clothes as a young man won him the nickname “Duke.” Early on, he felt the pull of the bright lights of the big city up north. We know Edward Kennedy Ellington as "the Duke": innovative composer, indefatigable jazz orchestra leader; elegant, witty, sensual, sophisticated citizen of the world. A giant on the 20th century American cultural scene, Duke Ellington was widely regarded as a legend during his own lifetime. Early Life. His autobiography ‘Music Is My Mistress’ was published in 1973. Strayhorn was born in Dayton, Ohio.His family soon moved to the Homewood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.However, his mother's family was from Hillsborough, North Carolina, and she sent him there to protect him from his father's drunken sprees.Strayhorn spent many months of his childhood at his grandparents' house in Hillsborough. From there on he never looked back. Born in Washington D.C. in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as “Duke,” began playing piano as a child. They named him Mercer Kennedy Ellington. Besides piano lessons, Ellin… Ellington’s autobiography, Music Is My Mistress, was published in 1973. That marked the birth of his career. His gift of melody and mastery of sonic textures, rhythms, and compositional forms translated into a body of music unequaled in jazz history. Duke Ellington, byname of Edward Kennedy Ellington, (born April 29, 1899, Washington, D.C., U.S.—died May 24, 1974, New York, N.Y.), American pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time. His reputation as a composer and bandleader is intact even after his death. It is known as the Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials in honor of her dedicated loyalty to the legendary musician's career. Early Career. He selected his musicians for their expressive individuality, and several members of his ensemble—including trumpeter Cootie Williams (who replaced Miley), cornetist Rex Stewart, trombonist Lawrence Brown, baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, and clarinetist Barney Bigard—were themselves important jazz artists. He was called Duke by his friends growing up because his suave sophistication reminded them of a nobleman. His father, William F. Kennedy, was a Negro who lived in the south. He got private lessons in harmony from Henry Lee Grant, a music teacher at Dunbar High School. Photos of Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz legends playing at photographer Gjon Mili's studio in the 1940s. Jazz’s evolution moved … James liked to play the operatic arias. Duke Ellington's Early Years At age 15, Ellington worked at a soda fountain and wrote his first song, "Soda Fountain Rag." Ellington’s music and his band thrived and played throughout Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899. preferred operatic arias. New York: Oxford University Press. Period: Nov 8, 1900 to Nov 8, 1975. Introducing, the band leader who is famous for wearing a sharp tuxedo and writing and playing great jazz music: Mr. Duke Ellington! During these years Ellington became intrigued with the possibilities of composing jazz within classical forms. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellingtonwas born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. His childhood friends gave him the nickname "Duke" for his elegant and flashy style. In June 1923, a gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey, proved lucky for the group and got them a chance to play at the prestigious Exclusive Club in Harlem. He grew up in a secure middle-class family and loved baseball and art as a child. Some records of this era include: "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Lady", "Solitude", and "In a Sentimental Mood". During 1939–67 Strayhorn collaborated so closely with Ellington that jazz scholars may never determine how much the gifted deputy influenced or even composed works attributed to Ellington. Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton, both major jazz artists, were with this classic Ellington band. Duke Ellington was the most important composer in the history of jazz as well as being a bandleader who held his large group together continuously for almost 50 years. "It was the most money I had ever seen," he said. One of the originators of big-band jazz, Ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores, and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in all of Western music. Ellington followed his dream of becoming a professional and he was at age 17. Some of Ellington’s most popular songs were "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing," "Sophisticated Lady," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Solitude," and "Satin Doll" and many of his popular songs were sung by Ivie Anderson, a favorite female vocalist of Duke's band. A standard in jazz music: Mr. Duke Ellington was widely regarded as one of the greatest of all bands. Played in New York City Britannica Membership bands participate in a well-known annual competition named Essentially Ellington high school:! Private lessons in harmony from Henry Lee Grant, a Methodist, and bandleader intact! 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