Duke Ellington: Big-Band Jazz
Cotton Club King, Jazz Composer, Pianist and Arranger, Bandleader
Biography of Edward "Duke" Ellington - his life and career. He was influential in jazz history and founder of the big-band jazz music.
Duke Ellington was a Cotton Club King during the Swing era. A jazz composer, pianist, arranger, and bandleader, he cofounded the big-band jazz. He was famous for his "Take the A Train" music recording, and his Duke Ellington Orchestra that accompanied Ella Fitzgerald in some performances.
Edward Ellington or "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, DC. He was a jazz composer, arranger, pianist and bandleader. He had an outstanding career as a composer and arranger of jazz. Ellington was concerned with jazz composition and musical form. Only when the swing era started to decline that he moved towards symphonic music.
Born into a middle-class American black family, Ellington was the son of a former White House butler. He acquired his title “Duke” for teenage elegance, a nickname given by his friends. As a boy, he dressed elegantly.
Ellington the Self-Taught
As a child, his formal musical education was through elementary piano lessons. He was influenced by both church music and burlesque theatre. Eventually, he taught himself harmony at the piano and acquired rudiments of orchestration by experimenting with his band he formed himself. They played at dances and parties.
Ellington the Professional
Duke Ellington began playing professionally in 1917. He formed his first band, the Washingtonians, in 1923. Notably, the members of his original band stayed with him for life. His band established its fame at the Cotton Club, New York from 1927 to 1932. His band also increased in size from six to ten or more. Later, he led his band on frequent tours to the U.S. and Europe, attracting and influencing several composers. His theme song, Take the A Train, was also his first million-selling record.
In 1943, his band premiered at Carnegie Hall. It was a 50-minute composition Black, Brown and Beige: Tone Parallel to the American Negro. In 1956, a classic concert at the Newport Jazz Festival confirmed his reputation as one of greats in contemporary jazz music.
During that time, his music was primarily written and used as accompaniment for dance shows. He began to emerge as the most important among the jazz composers and produced numerous compositions. He wrote pieces for his own jazz orchestra, accentuating the strengths of individual virtuoso instrumentalists. Among his most celebrated players were Johnny Hodges (saxophone), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), and Harry Carney (baritone saxophone).
Albums produced by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Duke Ellington Orchestra
- Ella at Duke's Place, 1965 studio album
- Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur, 1967 live album
Duke Ellington's Most Popular Music Recording
- Mood Indigo
- Sophisticated Lady
- It Don't Mean a Thing
- Solitude
- Caravan
- Creole Love Call
- Black and Tan Fantasy
Ellington also wrote and performed music for films, the most important was Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Alongside, he wrote The Queen Suite for Queen Elizabeth II, with only one copy . This was released only after his death.
He died in New York, May 24, 1974. His son, Mercer Ellington, continued to manage the orchestra.
