Duke Ellington: History and Classics
By the Fifties, Duke Ellington was already being called the greatest composer in jazz history, and many were calling him the greatest composer in the history of American popular music. Today, many music critics consider this claim to be a matter of common knowledge. By the time of his death, Ellington had written over 2000 compositions and transformed jazz from the novelty dance music it had been when he began to play it, to the greatest art form that has sprung from America.
Ellington was born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C. His father was a butler at the White House, a good job for an African-American man in the early 20th century. His father's position at the White House afforded the Ellingtons a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Ellington's mother was doting on young Edward and looked after his every need ensuring, among other things, that he take regular piano lessons. Young Edward attended a private African-American school that stressed not only academics, but good manners. Ellington's famous debonair manner was largely a result of what he learned at school. His friends gave him the nickname, €The Duke,€ in recognition of his precociously elegant dress and behavior.
Heavily influenced by ragtime piano players such as James P. Johnson, Ellington wrote his first piano piece, €Soda Fountain Rag,€ in his teens. By 1917, Ellington had launched his own music career. He worked as a sign painter by day and played music at night. By the end of 1917, he had formed his first group, €The Duke's Serenaders,€ and played for both white and black audiences at society balls and embassy parties. He was not only the groups' pianist, but also its booking agent. Other members of his band included saxophonist Otto Hardwicke, trumpeter Arthur Whetsol, banjo player Elmer Snowden, and drummer Sonny Greer. They were locally very successful in the Washington, D.C. area.
In his early Twenties, Ellington wondered if he could make it big as a jazz musician, so he headed off to New York City to join Sonny Greer who had been invited to join Wilbur Sweatman's band there. Ellington and the Sweatman band had a tough time in New York and found the highly competitive club scene hard to crack. They eventually returned to Washington, discouraged.
In the summer of 1923, the band got a needed break when they had a chance to play a gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which led to the band heading back to New York City to play the prestigious Executive Club. That led to a gig at the Hollywood Club for a four year engagement. The band, which now featured Bubber Miley on trumpet, was renamed €The Washingtonians.€ Ellington and the others forced out leader Elmer Snowden when they discovered that he had been skimming the other members' pay. Ellington was named the band's new leader.
It was during the Hollywood residency that Ellington and the Washingtonians made their first recordings. After the Hollywood's mafia owner had torched the club, it reopened again as the Kentucky Club, and in that year, 1924, the Washingtonians became known as the Kentucky Club Orchestra. The Orchestra grew to ten members and for a time featured the brilliant soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, who had a huge impact on all the young musicians in the group.
Ellington and the band made their first recordings in 1924, including €Choo Choo€ with Ellington getting the writing credit. The band made a few more recordings in 1925, and in 1926, hit their stride with some of the best recordings in jazz history with €Wanna Go Back Again Blues,€ €East St. Louis Toodle-oo,€ and €Birmingham Breakdown.€
1n 1927, When King Oliver passed on his regular booking at the legendary Cotton Club, the opportunity came to Ellington. During the Cotton Club engagement, the Ellington Orchestra would record more classic music including €Black and Tan Fantasy,€ €Black Beauty,€ €The Mooche,€ €Misty Mornin',€ €Saturday Night Function,€ €Mood Indigo,€ and €Old Man Blues.€ The bands soloists, especially Miley, would create Ellington's €jungle sound€ by playing their horns using mutes.
The Ellington Orchestra would continue to churn out classic recordings for the next 20 years, before Ellington would embrace the album format in the Fifties. In the meantime, he would record more classic sides such as €Sophisticated Lady,€ €Solitude,€ €Take the A Train,€ and €Caravan.€
With the advent of the L.P. (long play) disc, Ellington was able to write and record pieces with duration of more than three or four minutes. He set to work exploring the possibilities of this new technology with more brilliant results. He recorded €Masterpieces by Ellington€ in 1951 with ten minute versions of his classic songs, €Sophisticated Lady,€ €Solitude,€ €Mood Indigo,€ and €The Tattooed Bride.€
Ellington would produce numerous classic albums in the Fifties and Sixties including €Ellington at Newport€ (1956), a great live recording from the Newport Jazz Festival, €Such Sweet Thunder€ (1958), €Blues in Orbit€ (1960), €Money Jungle€ (1963), and €Far East Suite€ (1967). In the Seventies, €New Orleans Suite€ (1971) and €The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse€ (1975) would be standouts. A number of fine compilations of Ellington's early work are available.
Ellington died in 1974 leaving behind a peerless legacy.
Ellington was born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C. His father was a butler at the White House, a good job for an African-American man in the early 20th century. His father's position at the White House afforded the Ellingtons a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Ellington's mother was doting on young Edward and looked after his every need ensuring, among other things, that he take regular piano lessons. Young Edward attended a private African-American school that stressed not only academics, but good manners. Ellington's famous debonair manner was largely a result of what he learned at school. His friends gave him the nickname, €The Duke,€ in recognition of his precociously elegant dress and behavior.
Heavily influenced by ragtime piano players such as James P. Johnson, Ellington wrote his first piano piece, €Soda Fountain Rag,€ in his teens. By 1917, Ellington had launched his own music career. He worked as a sign painter by day and played music at night. By the end of 1917, he had formed his first group, €The Duke's Serenaders,€ and played for both white and black audiences at society balls and embassy parties. He was not only the groups' pianist, but also its booking agent. Other members of his band included saxophonist Otto Hardwicke, trumpeter Arthur Whetsol, banjo player Elmer Snowden, and drummer Sonny Greer. They were locally very successful in the Washington, D.C. area.
In his early Twenties, Ellington wondered if he could make it big as a jazz musician, so he headed off to New York City to join Sonny Greer who had been invited to join Wilbur Sweatman's band there. Ellington and the Sweatman band had a tough time in New York and found the highly competitive club scene hard to crack. They eventually returned to Washington, discouraged.
In the summer of 1923, the band got a needed break when they had a chance to play a gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which led to the band heading back to New York City to play the prestigious Executive Club. That led to a gig at the Hollywood Club for a four year engagement. The band, which now featured Bubber Miley on trumpet, was renamed €The Washingtonians.€ Ellington and the others forced out leader Elmer Snowden when they discovered that he had been skimming the other members' pay. Ellington was named the band's new leader.
It was during the Hollywood residency that Ellington and the Washingtonians made their first recordings. After the Hollywood's mafia owner had torched the club, it reopened again as the Kentucky Club, and in that year, 1924, the Washingtonians became known as the Kentucky Club Orchestra. The Orchestra grew to ten members and for a time featured the brilliant soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, who had a huge impact on all the young musicians in the group.
Ellington and the band made their first recordings in 1924, including €Choo Choo€ with Ellington getting the writing credit. The band made a few more recordings in 1925, and in 1926, hit their stride with some of the best recordings in jazz history with €Wanna Go Back Again Blues,€ €East St. Louis Toodle-oo,€ and €Birmingham Breakdown.€
1n 1927, When King Oliver passed on his regular booking at the legendary Cotton Club, the opportunity came to Ellington. During the Cotton Club engagement, the Ellington Orchestra would record more classic music including €Black and Tan Fantasy,€ €Black Beauty,€ €The Mooche,€ €Misty Mornin',€ €Saturday Night Function,€ €Mood Indigo,€ and €Old Man Blues.€ The bands soloists, especially Miley, would create Ellington's €jungle sound€ by playing their horns using mutes.
The Ellington Orchestra would continue to churn out classic recordings for the next 20 years, before Ellington would embrace the album format in the Fifties. In the meantime, he would record more classic sides such as €Sophisticated Lady,€ €Solitude,€ €Take the A Train,€ and €Caravan.€
With the advent of the L.P. (long play) disc, Ellington was able to write and record pieces with duration of more than three or four minutes. He set to work exploring the possibilities of this new technology with more brilliant results. He recorded €Masterpieces by Ellington€ in 1951 with ten minute versions of his classic songs, €Sophisticated Lady,€ €Solitude,€ €Mood Indigo,€ and €The Tattooed Bride.€
Ellington would produce numerous classic albums in the Fifties and Sixties including €Ellington at Newport€ (1956), a great live recording from the Newport Jazz Festival, €Such Sweet Thunder€ (1958), €Blues in Orbit€ (1960), €Money Jungle€ (1963), and €Far East Suite€ (1967). In the Seventies, €New Orleans Suite€ (1971) and €The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse€ (1975) would be standouts. A number of fine compilations of Ellington's early work are available.
Ellington died in 1974 leaving behind a peerless legacy.
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