Duke Ellington Duke Ellington's pre-eminence in jazz is not only because of the very high aesthetic standard of his output and not simply due to his remarkable abilities as a pianist, composer and bandleader, but also to the fact that he has extended the boundaries of jazz more than any other musician, without abandoning the true essence of the music. Perhaps no other American musician left such a massive and challenging legacy in composition and performance. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington…

Duke Ellington: An American Legacy Where would music be had it not been for the men that stepped before him. The Motzarts and Beethovens, who wrote the music that today is known as the classics. These men were naturals in their own right, but these people wrote their music in the 17th and 18th century. Many people don't realize all of the changes that music had to go through between that period of music and the present day. One such musician stands alone at the top as one of the movers and…

Biography of Edward Kennedy Ellington “I’m just an up and coming musician struggling to find another new note.” -Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy Ellington was born April 29th 1899 in Washington, DC. From an early age, Ellington was instilled with solid, conservative morals. He was taught to pride himself and his family and to achieve to the utmost of his dreams. At such a crucial time in the history of the African American, there was a struggle to be accepted and…

Duke Ellington The Harlem Renaissance was an era full of life, excitement, and activity. The world in all aspects was in gradual recovery from the depression. The world of music was expanding, sharing it’s enthusiasm throughout the world. The evolution of jazz aroused the curiosity of the nation. As Blacks received their freedom, they were able to express themselves as talented individuals. Certain blacks contributed immensely to the era of jazz, for example, Duke Ellington. Ellington entered…

Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 and died on May 24, 1974. He was born in Washington D.C but later on he moved to New York City. He was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader. He had that career for 50 years. He was known as one of the greatest composers. He had more than two thousand songs that where a hit at that time. He began to play the piano as a child his mom played that piano as well. She over saw his education. Duke played professional at age 17. When he moved to New York…

A Portrait of Duke Ellington By Tracy Frech Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of American music. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899. His parents were James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They raised Duke as an only child, until his sister, Ruth, was born when Duke was sixteen years old. Duke, even as a teenager, had a great talent for music. In the beginning of his musical life, Duke began to take a promising…

Throughout jazz there is a couple of ledges that had their hands in the success of the jazz genre as a whole. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington are two composters that single handily contributed to the evolution of jazz. Both Louis and Armstrong performed for over fifty years. With this amount of time performing they both touch many eras in jazz. Although Duke was very influential during this time period I like Louie timeline more. Most likely because we are both from New Orleans and I feel closer…

I attended the Jazz Ensembles Concert, The Music of Duke Ellington, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at the Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts. I was not really sure what to expect since I had never experienced Jazz in a concert hall setting, however, I believe I am still able to make an informed and unbiased review. Not only was this my first Jazz concert, but it was also my first time visiting the University Center for the Arts. I was greeted immediately and with a very welcoming…

Duke Elington Duke Ellington was an American jazz bandleader, composer, and pianist. He is thought of as one the greatest figures in jazz. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States awarded him with the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his fifty-year career, he had played over 20,000 performances worldwide. He…

Duke Ellington: The Music, Politics, and his Story Duke Ellington was a musical and political genius; he was “America’s only original musical mind.” He was not only a performer, but a composer. He learned the craft of composing by observing others instead of disciplined study. One important factor of Ellington’s music was its relation to black heritage and African American history. His symphony “Black, Brown, and Beige” displayed the African American struggle in America. Not only did Ellington…