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 was the Duke
Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington." Ellington personally created most of the music played by his orchestra. He often wrote
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 One of the most influential men of the 20th century, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as Duke Ellington was an American jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist. He brought a revolution to the American music, especially to jazz music, by his distinctive ensemble sounds. During his span of 50 years of career, he was one of the originators of big-band jazz and wrote thousands of scores; a major contribution to jazz music. (britannica.com) Early life Born on 29th April 1899, Duke
Duke Ellington, named Edward Kennedy Ellington at birth, was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington D.C. to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. Both of Ellington’s parents were talented, musical individuals. Edward Kennedy was later nicknamed Duke by his childhood friend, Edgar McEntire and this name has stuck with him throughout his life and career. Duke Ellington was one of Jazz and Big Band’s most influential icons. He was known for famous recordings such as “Sophisticated Lady”
Said to be the father of jazz, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, born on April 29, 1899, was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra. Duke Ellington was known and is remembered for his unique and profound style of jazz music. His development in jazz was one of the most spectacular in the history of music, as demonstrated by more than fifty years of sustained achievement as an artist which led him to be known as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Duke’s music was
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
Duke Ellington in the 1920’s The 1920’s were a time of excitement, fun, experiments, and the rise in African American talent. Duke Ellington took part in this time to boost his career and have fun. Duke Ellington is a songwriter and performer in many great songs throughout the 1900’s. “The Jubilee Stomp”, written by Duke Ellington, reflects the fun and exciting times of the 1920’s, but it also shows us the rise of African-Americans and the Harlem Renaissance. The 1920’s were about change and expressing
I decided to do my research paper on Duke Ellington who was a famous jazz composer, and pianist. Ellington gained national fame in the mid-1920s, through his appearances at the Cotton Club with his orchestra. Ellington is considered one of the most famous jazz composers of his time. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington D.C. His mother Daisy, surrounded Edward with her very polite friends which taught him to have respect and manners for people. After a while his
Duke Ellington: In a Sentimental Mood Background In a Sentimental Mood is a composition by Duke Ellington and was written and recorded in 1935. Analysis The song begins in a slow and introspective making use of a minor tonality. The original piece starts in the key of D Minor and follows an AABA form. The piece uses unlikely and unexpected chord changes, as well as a false key change from D Minor to D♭ Major in the first “A” section, even though this section ultimately ends in F Major. (In a Sentimental
Jazz was a form of musical protest during the oppression of African Americans in the US, especially throughout World War 2. Duke Ellington’s passion for music and drama made him stand out throughout the musical evolution of Jazz. His song “Cotton Tail” paved the way for a new jazz subgenre called modern jazz. Ellington’s innovation and free mentality influenced the future of jazz, inspiring other artists and musicians, and making him one of the most influential composers of the genre to date. Through
Duke Ellington : An American Legacy Where would music be had it not been for the men that stepped before him. The Mozarts 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 innovators
Recognized as one of the greatest all time jazz figures Duke Ellington, whose career reached over a span of fifty years was mostly known for composing thousands of influential songs. As well as constituting into jazz an ensemble of western sounds which was referred to as “American Music”. This iconic figure has left a mark in the world of jazz for centuries to come. Edward Kennedy Ellington better known as Duke Ellington, since a very young age had an intellectual musical intuition. At the young
still greatly appreciated today. It is believed that African Americans would not be where they are today, if the renaissance had not occurred. The Harlem Renaissance brought a new sense of identity to African Americans such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday; they were no longer defined as worthless objects in society, they had begun a life beyond that. Louis Armstrong was an African American musician whose fame skyrocketed during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1912, Armstrong started
world. Duke Ellington wasn’t the normal everyday hit artist with just one or two big hits we hear on the radio and call great, he was simply a legend. This man was the real deal in the jazz world; he was one of the main guys who put jazz on the map. Duke Ellington didn’t just become great though; just like everyone else, he had to start from the bottom. He had to make his own story. He had to separate himself from others and make a name for himself. This is the story of how Duke Ellington made himself
Black, Brown and Beige Black, Brown and Beige is a Jazz symphony composed by Duke Ellington that first premiered in 1943. This symphony holds great importance to the black community, because it was written in a tone about the Negro journey in America. It is one of the longest works composed by Duke Ellington with three parts. In this composition he targets racial identity in the African American community, and also gives a spiritual sense to the music by featuring Mahalia Jackson; a popular gospel
Duke Ellington was a popular jazz musician of the 1920s and beyond his music impacted how future musicians will play. He wrote 2000 to 3000 songs in his career and published over 200 albums. Ellington played the piano, alto and tenor saxophone along with being a bandleader. Duke Ellington became such a famous jazz player because his music was diverse, he toured the world with “The Washingtonians” and he won multiple awards that helped him spread his name across the globe. Duke Ellington’s journey
History of the US Since 1865 Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (Rough Draft) Jazz music’s roots go deeper than most people could ever begin to imagine. Whether it is the influencing of other styles of music, the broadening of other media forms, or even the molding and shaping of the atmosphere of entire cities, jazz usually has a part in it. And with an impressive career spanning over 50 years, countless hits that are being replicated in numerous forms even today, and the pivotal part that he played
The Harlem Renaissance enriched America through its music. Countless African Americans became key figures in music during this time. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of African American expression in art, music, and literature. The Harlem Renaissance was instigated by the migration of African Americans to northern cities that was taking place in America at that time. (Hutchinson) The music of the Harlem Renaissance brought about a sense of equality among black and white Americans and was a sense
Jazz is a treasure to American culture, which originally came from New Orleans of South part of America in 19th century. It’s a special music because it contains changeable rhythm and improvisational performance. But what makes jazz so special in 1920s is that Jazz could not only be performed by an individual but also could be performed by a group of people. This music performance style shows important things about American society and culture itself. Jazz involves vast amount of different instruments