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Ellington, Duke
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Born in Washington DC, composer, bandleader, and pianist Edward Kennedy ("Duke") Ellington was recognized in his lifetime as one of the greatest jazz composers and performers. Nicknamed "Duke" by a boyhood friend who admired his regal air, the name stuck and became indelibly associated with the finest creations in big band and vocal jazz.
Beginning keyboard studies at the age of seven, Ellington's earliest influences were the ragtime pianists. He taught himself harmony at the piano and at 17, made his professional debut. Encouraged by Fats Waller, he moved to New York in 1923 and, during the formative Cotton Club years, experimented with and developed the style that would quickly bring him worldwide success and recognition.
Among Ellington's many honors and awards were honorary doctorates from Howard and Yale Universities, membership in the American Institute of Arts and Letters, election as the first jazz musician member of the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His achievements are astonishing, in their richness and importance to American and world music. He composed dozens of popular songs, including “Sophisticated Lady,” and “In a Sentimental Mood,” and he had his hand in the composition of others, such as “Mood Indigo” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”
Best known for:” Sophsticated Lady”, and “Satin Doll” |
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