Duke Ellington

.“Duke” Ellington was born in Washington DC. 1989, he got “Duke” name by classmate because of his elegant manners. As a child Duke showed interest for music. When he was seven years old he started playing piano. Duke attended Armstrong Manual Training School studying commercial art. At that time he liked to listen to ragtime pianists all over Washington. In Philadelphia he arranged to meet Harvey Brooks, a very popular pianist. Mr. Brooks showed him some pianistic tricks and short cuts on the piano. Brooks impressed Duke so much so that he decided that he would become a good piano player himself. He had two very important piano teachers after meeting Harvey Books. They were Oliver Perry and Louis Brown who taught him how to read music and help him improve his overall piano playing skills. Duke dropped out of his commercial art high school three months before graduation. In 1917 he formed his own group named the Duke’s Serenaders. He was in charge of this band. He played with his group in Washington and Virginia area, usually for private society balls and embassy parties. Duke married in 1919 and soon his son Mercer was born.
In 1923 he left Washington for New York and in New York with his group newly named “Washingtonians” started to play in many clubs, such as Exclusive Club, Connie’s Inn, the Hollywood Club Ciro’s and most importantly he played in Cotton Club. It was from this Cotton Club that his music was broadcasted live across the nation under the title” From the Cotton Club”. The radio broadcasts were responsible for great popularity of the Duke band music.
In 1928 Ellington signed an agreement with Irving Mills who produced Ellington’s music. There were other recording companies such as Columbia and Victor who further spread Ellington’s band music not only in U.S. but also in the world.
Duke Ellington became one of the leading figures in jazz in the world he continued to be a leading jazz composer, musician and bandleader until his dead in 1974. Starting in 1924 his band recorded under the names Jungle Band, the Whoopee Makers and Harlem Footwormers .
In the late 1920 he also started to play in Broadway and movies. He was responsible in making jazz a great musical form because he introduce “special effects “, using instruments in new ways and infusing African and Latin elements in to his music”.
Another innovation he came up with was the use concerto form in his work as in “Concerto for Cootie”, named for Charles “Cootie” Williams, and member of the band.
Ellington was influenced by few pianists and there were many musicians who collaborated with him in his composing and arranging. The most famous of his compositions are: “Mood Indigo”, “Sophisticated Lady” and “ In a Sentimental Mood”.
His band had many fine musicians some of them played in his band for decades after his dad his son Mercer Ellington to be the leader of his band. Duke Ellington composed about 2000 compositions. He played all over the U.S. and the world (New York, New Delhi, Cairo, Paris, London). He played with such great artist as Miles Davis, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Louis Armstrong. He played for Queen Elizabeth II and President Nixon. Only Armstrong was the one who had such long carrier as Ellington but “Armstrong failed to be in the artistic vanguard after 1930’s”.
The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor. President Johnson gave him a gold medal he received many numerous honors including 16 honorary doctorates from American university. His fame continues to grow, he continues to inspire many artists, and people all over the world continue to like his music.

Reference:
http://www.dukeellington com/about /bio.htm

http://redhotjazz.com.html

http://pbskids.org/jazz/nowthen/duke.html

http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/ellington.html